Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04832321

Measuring Beliefs and Norms About Persons With Alcohol Use Disorder

Survey experiment to estimate drivers of stigma toward people with alcohol use disorder

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Behavior Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Social Behavior Social Stigma Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Mbarara, Uganda

About this study

Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, substance use disorder remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying alcohol use disorder as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder vs. treated alcohol use disorder with complete response vs. treated alcohol use disorder with relapse, with and without adverse economic impacts. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated alcohol use disorder with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder, followed by treated alcohol use disorder with relapse and untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder, and that adverse economic impacts will exacerbate negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • All adults who consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence and who are capable of providing consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Minors younger than 18 years of age, with the exception of emancipated minors
  • Persons who do not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence, e.g., persons who happen to be visiting Nyakabare at the time of the survey or who own a home in Nyakabare but spend most of their time outside the parish
  • Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or other cognitive impairment (all of which are determined informally in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor)

Treatment and study plan

Survey questionnaire

Other

Each version of the questionnaire portrays a young Ugandan man with different profiles of illness severity, treatment, and treatment response.

Primary outcomes

  1. Social Distance

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Willingness to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into the study participant's family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

  2. Perceived Norms about Social Distance

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people would be willing to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into their families (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

  3. Negative Attitudes (Attribution)

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

  4. Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Attribution)

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

  5. Negative Attitudes (Shame)

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

  6. Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Shame)

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

    Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Apr 5, 2021
Registry last updated
Oct 19, 2023

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.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.