StuDy AimED at Increasing AlCohol AbsTinEnce

Study Design Formative (K99 Phase), we will test feasibility & acceptability of integrated CM-PST. To test CM-PST, we will recruit/enroll 20 participants in a single-arm pre/post study. Participants who meet eligibility will be invited to our clinical lab at UIC for informed consent and baseline measures. Consenting participants will receive CM-PST intervention via videoconferences such as zoom, in 8 CM-PST individual sessions, every week for sessions 1-4 and every other week for sessions 5-8, over 12 weeks. Participants will complete the Client Satisfaction Scale survey after each session and 3 mo. post-intervention, to quantify their overall experiences with this new CM-PST.

Preliminary efficacy trial (R00 Phase). This will be a 2-arm Randomized control trial in young adults aged 18-24 yr who meet AUD criteria. Prospective participants who respond to our advertisements will be screened by phone for eligibility and to determine their AUD diagnostic status and severity (mild, moderate, severe). Participants who meet eligibility will be invited to our UIC clinical lab for informed consent, baseline self-report measures, urine alcohol screening, and baseline fMRI, and then randomized to either CM-PST (42 participants) or CM-only (42 participants) control group. All participants will complete follow-up assessments at 3 & 6 months with blinded outcome assessors.

Inclusion criteria

• Male and female young adults aged 18-24 yr
• English-speaking
• Current alcohol use greater or equal to 1 day/week via phone screening, and meet criteria for (past year) mild, moderate or severe AUD on the AUDIT and AUDADIS surveys.
• Completion of written informed consent
• Baseline screening study visit.

Exclusion criteria

• Participation in past 6 mo. in AUD or substance use treatment
• Current use of medications used to treat AUD (e.g., naltrexone)
• Lifetime DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any psychotic disorder.
• Current use of psychoactive drugs, determined by positive drug toxicology screen
• Conditions (e.g., tic disorder) that would interfere with psychophysiological indices of reward functioning
• Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant
• Additional exclusion criteria pertaining to fMRI scan in R00 phase only: a) bodily ferrous metals (e.g., aneurysm clips, shrapnel/retained particles) or b) claustrophobia, inability to tolerate small enclosed spaces.