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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03655574

Substance Use Interventions for Truant Adolescents

This study evaluates a brief motivation-building intervention for parents and teens to reduce truancy and substance use. It is hypothesized that the motivational intervention will result in better outcomes compared to an education-only intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Adolescent Problem Behavior Alcohol Abuse Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Chemically-Induced Disorders Marijuana Abuse Mental Disorders Substance Abuse Substance-Related Disorders Truancy; Socialized Truancy; Unsocialized

Age range

12 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Brown Univerity, Providence, Rhode Island, United States

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About this study

Adolescents who use marijuana and are truant from school are a high-risk population with increased likelihood of substance use disorders, criminal justice involvement, and long-term impairments in vocational, family, and peer domains.

This study will test a theory-driven intervention for early adolescent marijuana using, truant youth identified through Rhode Island Truancy and Family Courts. Adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of the 2 conditions: a motivational interview versus psychoeducation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • the target child is in 6th-10th grade at the start of the project and living at home with at least one parent/guardian,
  • the teen must report 6 or more incidences of marijuana use in the last 90 days (an approximation of biweekly use)
  • by law, the teen must have at least 20 unexcused absences in an academic year to be in truancy court, and (4) parental consent and teen assent are obtained.

Exclusion criteria

  • the family is not able to speak and understand English or Spanish well enough to complete study procedures
  • developmental delay, as determined by school placements outside the regular classroom, that would affect comprehension of the intervention.

Treatment and study plan

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

Behavioral

In the MET session, motivational strategies of individualized normative feedback, examining decisional balance, and providing information/advice will be used to support goals for behavior change and to examine barriers to changes. There are four specific phases of the FCU session: (1) Self-assessment: Parents are asked if they learned anything about their family from participating in the assessment. (2) Support and clarification: The interviewer supports the parent's self-assessment efforts, assesses their level of understanding, and clarifies issues within the family. (3) Feedback: A summary form of the assessment is reviewed. (4) Action Plan: Throughout the session, the counselor works with the parent to develop a brief, written Action Plan about communication and monitoring.

Psychoeducation

Other

Psychoeducation about substances is provided to teens and parents.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Frequency of Marijuana Use

    Time frame: Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

    Total number of marijuana use days .

  2. Change in Quantity of Marijuana Use per Occasion of Use

    Time frame: Last 90 days at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months

    Average quantity of marijuana use per day

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Days truant from school

    Time frame: Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

    School attendance based on objective school records

  2. Change in Days truant from school, self-report

    Time frame: Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

    School attendance based on self-report

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Brown University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Registry information

Official study title

Brief Individual and Parent Interventions for Substance Use in Truant Adolescents

Acronym: GOALS

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2024
First posted
Aug 31, 2018
Registry last updated
Jun 3, 2024

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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