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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04275739

Brief Academic Future Thinking Intervention for College Student Drinkers

The present study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial utility of a brief academic goal-relevant episodic future thinking (A-EFT) task among heavy college drinkers.

First, the study attempts to extend the temporal reach of EFT interventions which have demonstrated immediate reductions in discounting, and alcohol demand. The current study utilized a longitudinal design to evaluate whether EFT can change drinking behavior outside the lab in heavy drinking college students. The two-group experimental design included an active control group, weekly booster contact, and 1-month follow-up. Second, this study seeks to investigate whether the process of engaging in EFT is sufficient to produce effects when cues are not presented during the decision-making task. Lastly, this study adds an academic goal-related focus to the EFT task based on previous research indicating that forming meaningful academic goals is protective against drinking and associated problems.

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Key information

Conditions

Heavy Drinking

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee, 38152, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Full-time Freshman/Sophomore Student
  • 2+ Recent heavy drinking episodes (4/5 standard drinks in one sitting for men/women)

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or past substance abuse treatment
  • Current moderate/severe depressive symptoms

Treatment and study plan

Academic Episodic Future Thinking

Behavioral

Brief Academic goal related EFT intervention involving desirable outcomes of current academic goals

Vivid Memory Task

Other

Matched for time control task involving recall of vivid memories of distinct events/actions from a children's story

Primary outcomes

  1. Daily Drinking Questionnaire

    Time frame: Baseline

    Indicate how many standard drinks were consumed on each day of a "typical week" in the past month

  2. Daily Drinking Questionnaire

    Time frame: 1-month post

    Indicate how many standard drinks were consumed on each day of a "typical week" in the past month

  3. Alcohol-Related Consequences

    Time frame: Baseline

    Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire - Indicate "yes" or "no" to experiencing each alcohol-related consequences in the past month

  4. Alcohol-Related Consequences

    Time frame: 1-month post

    Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire - Indicate "yes" or "no" to experiencing each alcohol-related consequences in the past month

  5. Alcohol Demand

    Time frame: Baseline

    Alcohol Purchase Task - Indicate hypothetical alcohol purchase behavior at a variety of price points

  6. Alcohol Demand

    Time frame: Post-session - immediately after intervention;control

    Alcohol Purchase Task - Indicate hypothetical alcohol purchase behavior at a variety of price points

  7. Alcohol Demand

    Time frame: 1-month post

    Alcohol Purchase Task - Indicate hypothetical alcohol purchase behavior at a variety of price points

  8. Delayed Reward Discounting

    Time frame: Baseline

    5-Choice Minute Discounting task - Indicate preference for various choices of immediate small vs. larger delayed rewards

  9. Delayed Reward Discounting

    Time frame: Post-session - immediately after intervention/control

    5-Choice Minute Discounting task - Indicate preference for various choices of immediate small vs. larger delayed rewards

  10. Delayed Reward Discounting

    Time frame: 1-month post

    5-Choice Minute Discounting task - Indicate preference for various choices of immediate small vs. larger delayed rewards

Secondary outcomes

  1. Protective Behavioral Strategies

    Time frame: Baseline

    Indicate frequency of use of each protective strategy on a 1-6 Likert-type scale (1 = Never, 6 = Always)

  2. Protective Behavioral Strategies

    Time frame: 1-month post

    Indicate frequency of use of each protective strategy on a 1-6 Likert-type scale (1 = Never, 6 = Always)

  3. Academic Engagement

    Time frame: Baseline

    Single item assessing time spent studying during the past week

  4. Academic Engagement

    Time frame: 1-month post

    Single item assessing time spent studying during the past week

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Memphis

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Episodic Future Thinking as a Brief Alcohol Intervention for Heavy Drinking College Students: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Feb 19, 2020
Registry last updated
Feb 19, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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