Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01891656

Motivational Assessment Program to Initiate Treatment

Substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system can reduce drug use and related criminal behavior. Although drug and alcohol treatment are common mandates in criminal justice programs, only a minority of clients actually initiate treatment. This proposal will compare two intervention formats that target motivation to initiate and engage in treatment among a group of probationers who have drug or alcohol treatment conditions. Six hundred drug and alcohol offenders in two probation sites (Baltimore, MD and Dallas, TX) will be randomized to receive: 1) an in-person motivational interviewing session (MI), 2) a motivational computer program (MC), or 3) supervision intake and monitoring as usual (SAU). The MI condition will be structured along the lines of the "Check-Up" format which consists of an assessment and personalized feedback delivered in an MI style; the content of the MC condition will be drawn from previous literature on effective motivational computer programs. Both interventions will be delivered at the start of the probation process, with follow-up assessments at 2 and 6 months. Primary outcomes include engagement and participation in substance abuse treatment; secondary outcomes include drug and alcohol use, probation progress, criminal behavior, and HIV testing and care. This project will be the first to develop and test two interventions for encouraging criminal justice clients to follow through with treatment recommendations, with the goal of increasing treatment initiation, and reducing subsequent drug use and criminal behavior. It also contributes to ongoing partnerships with two large probation agencies-the Dallas County Supervision and Corrections Department and the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Substance-related Disorders Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Loading trial locations.

About this study

Specific Aims

  • Develop two intervention formats (Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Motivational Computer (MC)) for increasing motivation to initiate and engage in substance abuse treatment and/or HIV / AIDS testing and, if appropriate, HIV care.
  • Test the efficacy of MI and MC on treatment initiation and participation, substance abuse, HIV testing/care, and recidivism, as compared to Supervision As Usual (SAU);
  • Evaluate offender characteristics (e.g., risk level, gender, ethnicity, motivation) as potential moderators of the intervention effect; and,
  • Assess the relative cost and cost-effectiveness of MI and MC on substance abuse treatment and/or linkage to or participation in HIV/AIDS care, supervision outcomes, recidivism, and substance abuse.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • >=18 years old
  • Drug or Alcohol use in the last 90 days

Exclusion criteria

  • <18 years old
  • Cannot speak English
  • Already participate in a substance abuse treatment

Treatment and study plan

Motivational Interviewing

Behavioral

MI is a "client centered, directive style of interacting with a person to help explore and resolve ambivalence about change" (Miller & Rollnick, 2002). MI borrows from Client-Centered Counseling in its emphasis on empathy, optimism, and respect for client choice (Rogers, 1961). MI also draws from Self-Perception Theory, which says that a person becomes more or less committed to an action based on the verbal stance he or she takes (Bem, 1972). The effects of MI tend to be in the small-to-medium range when compared to no treatment, and nonsignificant when compared to more extensive treatment.

Other names: Motivational Enhancement Therapy

Motivational Computer

Behavioral

The growing use of technology has led to the development of automated interventions for behavior change, including some that target drug and alcohol use (Elliott, et al, 2008; Lustria, et al, 2009; Revere & Dunbar, 2001; Walters, et al, 2006) and treatment interest (Lieberman & Massey, 2008). As discussed by Hester & Miller (2006), automated interventions have several potential advantages over face-to-face interventions: (I) They require little or no staff contact, which may increase cost-effectiveness; (2) they can allow for automatic data collection and follow-up; and (3) they can be disseminated with little loss of fidelity.

Other names: Web-Based Interventions

Primary outcomes

  1. Treatment Progress

    Time frame: 6 months

    Treatment progress assesses initiation, engagement and retention at 2 and 6 months via telephone. In-person visits are assessed at baseline and during a 6 month visit.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Drug and Alcohol Use

    Time frame: 6 months

    Drug and alcohol use is a secondary outcome measured at baseline and 6 months during an in-person interview. In addition, this outcome is measured at 2 via telephone.

  2. Probation Progress

    Time frame: 6 months

    Probation progress is measured at baseline and 6 months via in-person interview. In addition, this outcome is measured at 2 via a telephone interview.

  3. Criminal Behavior

    Time frame: 6 months

    Criminal Behavior is measured during in-person interviews at baseline and 6 months. In addition, this outcome is measured at 2 months via telephone.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of North Texas Health Science Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Registry information

Official study title

In-Person VS. Computer Interventions for Increasing Probation Compliance

Acronym: MAPIT

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2016
First posted
Jul 3, 2013
Registry last updated
Apr 13, 2016

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.