Brief Family-Based Cannabis Use Intervention for Youth With Early Juvenile Justice Involvement

NCT07700849 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 2079613K23DA058014
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if a brief family-based intervention in effective in reducing cannabis use and delinquency in youth participating in juvenile diversion. The main questions it aims to answer are: Hypothesis 1: the intervention will be (a) feasible, as evidenced by enrollment rates (\> 80%), follow-up rates (\> 80%), and withdrawal rates (\< 20%); and (b) acceptable, as evidenced by \> 80% of treatment evaluation ratings in the highest two Likert rating categories and positive exit interview feedback. Hypothesis 2: those parents in the experimental condition, as compared to the active comparison psychoeducation condition, will evidence greater improvement over time in the hypothesized family-level mechanisms proposed in the intervention (i.e., parenting practices and parent well-being) as well as in youth-level outcomes, including cannabis use, recidivism, and HIV/STI risk. Researchers will compare the family-based treatment to parenting psychoeducation. Caregiver and youth participants will complete measures relevant to primary outcomes and putative mechanisms at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups.

Conditions

Cannabis Use; Delinquency

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Timeline Follow-Back

  This youth report measure assess for past 90-day youth cannabis, alcohol, other drug use, as well as risky sexual behaviors on use days.

  The Timeline Follow-Back will be administered at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months post baseline.

• Official arrest records

  Official arrest records will be collected as an index of recidivism among youth.

  Official arrest records will be collected for the 12 months following baseline.

• Marijuana Adolescent Problem Inventory

  This youth-reported measure assesses for cannabis-related consequences among youth.

  We will collect this measure at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months post baseline.

Study Arms (2)

Family-based intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The family-based intervention is proposed as 6 sessions long and will have the following modules: 1) Introduction to Treatment; 2) Parent Training Strategies (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); 3) Improving Parent Well-Being (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); and 4) Treatment Termination and Future Planning (see Table 1 for information regarding modules and session content). Youth will attend the first and last session, in addition to other relevant sessions (e.g., household rules/consequences); parents will attend every session.

Behavioral: Brief Family Based Intervention

Parenting Psychoeducation

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Psychoeducation in the comparison group will involve 6 hour-long sessions delivered via secure videoconferencing focused on providing parents with key developmental knowledge regarding adolescence and parenting. To differentiate the psychoeducation provided in the intervention group, sessions will focus on typical adolescent development and parenting knowledge derived from Centers for Disease Control publicly available information. The first two sessions will provide information about typical developmental milestones in adolescence (e.g., increased need for privacy and independence). The third and fourth session will provide information on healthy vs. unhealthy behaviors in adolescence (e.g., safe driving behaviors). Finally, the final two sessions will give parents' knowledge regarding general positive parenting practices to shape healthy adolescent development. This is an active comparison condition seeking to change parents' parenting knowledge regarding typical challenges parent

Behavioral: Parenting Psychoeducation

Interventions

Brief Family Based Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The intervention is proposed as 6 sessions long and will have the following modules: 1) Introduction to Treatment; 2) Parent Training Strategies (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); 3) Improving Parent Well-Being (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); and 4) Treatment Termination and Future Planning. Youth may attend the first and last session, in addition to other relevant sessions (e.g., household rules/consequences); parents will attend every session. Clinicians will use measures available from the baseline assessment relevant to treatment mechanisms (i.e., indices of parent well-being and parenting skills, the initial clinical interview from the first session, and the family's treatment goals to determine session content.

Family-based intervention

Parenting Psychoeducation BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducation in the comparison group will involve 6 hour-long sessions delivered via secure videoconferencing focused on providing parents with key developmental knowledge regarding adolescence and parenting. To differentiate the psychoeducation provided in the intervention group, sessions will focus on typical adolescent development and parenting knowledge derived from Centers for Disease Control publicly available information.The first two sessions will provide information about typical developmental milestones in adolescence (e.g., increased need for privacy and independence). The third and fourth session will provide information on healthy vs. unhealthy behaviors in adolescence (e.g., safe driving behaviors). Finally, the final two sessions will give parents' knowledge regarding general positive parenting practices to shape healthy adolescent development. This is an active comparison condition seeking to change parents' parenting knowledge regarding typical challenges parents

Parenting Psychoeducation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rhode Island Hospital: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Bradley-Hasbro Children's Research Center

Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States

Location

Central Study Contacts

Kaitlin Sheerin, PhD

CONTACT

(401) 444-8945; ksheerin@brownhealth.org

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Scientist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2026
• First Posted: July 14, 2026
• Study Start: July 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 28, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 28, 2029
• Last Updated: July 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)