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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00249457

Employment-based Reinforcement to Motivate Drug Abstinence in the Treatment of Drug Addiction. - 2

The purpose of this study is to determine whether long-term exposure to the Therapeutic Workplace intervention could sustain drug abstinence over an extended period of time in heroin- and cocaine-dependent, unemployed, treatment-resistant young mothers.

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Key information

Conditions

Behavior, Addictive Behavior Chemically-Induced Disorders Cocaine Abuse Cocaine Dependence Cocaine-Related Disorders Compulsive Behavior Heroin Dependence Impulsive Behavior Mental Disorders Narcotic-Related Disorders Opioid Dependence Opioid-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The Center for Learning and Health

Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

About this study

The current study is a continuation of the research into the development and evaluation of a novel treatment designed to address the chronic, persistent nature of drug addiction. This treatment, called the Therapeutic Workplace, integrates abstinence reinforcement contingencies of proven efficacy into a model supported work program. Participants were paid to work or to train in the Therapeutic Workplace but had to provide drug-free urine samples to gain daily access. Forty participants were randomly assigned to a Therapeutic Workplace or usual care control group. Therapeutic Workplace participants could work for about 5 years. This study reports the effects of the intervention over a follow-up period of 8 years after treatment initiation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • When originally enrolled in the study, participants were at least 18 years old, unemployed, and methadone maintenance patients of the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy (CAP) who continued to use opiates or cocaine during CAP treatment.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants were excluded if they were at risk for suicide at the time of intake or if they had serious psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia).

Treatment and study plan

Contingency Management

Behavioral

Invited to attend the Therapeutic Workplace 3 hr per day, Monday through Friday. Each day when a participant reported to the workplace, she was required to provide a urine sample. If the sample tested negative for opiates and cocaine, she was allowed to work that day. Participants who gained entrance to the workplace participated in basic skills education and job skills training throughout each 3-hr work shift.

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of urine samples at the assessments that were negative for cocaine

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

    (total number of monthly urine samples negative for cocaine/total number of possible urine samples) x 100

  2. Percentage of urine samples at the assessments that were negative for opiates

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

    (total number of monthly urine samples negative for opiates/total number of possible urine samples) x 100

  3. Percentage of urine samples at the assessments that were negative for cocaine and opiates

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

    (total number of monthly urine samples negative for cocaine and opiates/total number of possible urine samples) x 100

Secondary outcomes

  1. HIV risk behaviors

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

  2. Percentage of participants employed each month

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

  3. Number of days employed each month

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

  4. Percentage of participants to self-report abstinence at all time points

    Time frame: every 30 days throughout fourth year

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Therapeutic Workplace for Drug Abusers

Important dates

Study start
1996
Primary completion
2006
Study completion
2006
First posted
Nov 7, 2005
Registry last updated
Oct 30, 2017

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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