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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01109563

Teen Marijuana Check-Up

This study will test a behavioral intervention tailored for adolescents who smoke marijuana and have concerns about their use. The study's purpose is to determine whether this intervention (two-sessions of motivational enhancement intervention followed by 12 months of optional skills training) will be more effective in reducing the use of this drug if augmented by three periodic motivational enhancement treatment check-in sessions as compared to three periodic computer-based check-in sessions.

HYPOTHESES: (1) Participants in the motivational enhancement treatment check-ins (MCI) condition will reduce their use of marijuana more than participants in the computer based (Comp) condition and report fewer negative consequences. These differences are expected to be greater at later follow-ups (i.e, 9, 12, and 15 months) after repeated check-ins exert a cumulative effect. (2)Engagement in CBT sessions will be greater for those in the MCI condition and will partially mediate the effect on marijuana related outcome indices. (3) The MCI intervention will lead to increased self-efficacy, and decreased normative perceptions of marijuana use by other teens that will also partially mediate the effect of the intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Cannabis Use Disorder Chemically-Induced Disorders Marijuana Abuse Mental Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

14 year–19 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

About this study

The goal of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy of an enhanced Teen Marijuana Check-Up protocol to reach and intervene with non-treatment seeking adolescents who use marijuana heavily. Two hundred fifty adolescents who use marijuana heavily will receive a 2-session individual motivational enhancement therapy. All participants will also be offered the opportunity, over a 12-month period, to repeatedly re-initiate marijuana counseling. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of two types of periodic follow-up contacts: Motivational interviewing-based Marijuana Check-Ins (MCI) or Computer Based Control (Comp) sessions.

All participants will be reassessed at the 6, 9, 12, and 15-month anniversaries of enrollment. Following their initial motivational enhancement therapy, the 125 experimental condition participants will additionally have a motivational enhancement treatment "check-in" session with their counselor at the 4, 7, and 10-month anniversaries of enrollment intended to reinforce the maintenance of treatment gains and motivate continued success, increase motivation to change for participants who did not meet their marijuana use goals, and/or prompt utilization of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) sessions as needed. The 125 comparison participants will complete a computer based questionnaire at the same time intervals to serve as an attentional control.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • age (14-19 years old),
  • grade level (9th through 11th) and
  • marijuana use.

Exclusion criteria

Individuals will be excluded if:

  • they are not fluent in English,
  • they have a thought disorder that precludes full participation,
  • they refuse to accept randomization to condition,
  • they are high school seniors.

Treatment and study plan

Marijuana Check-Ins

Behavioral

The MCI, an MET intervention, will include the provision of personalized feedback with a motivational interviewing style. The focus of these sessions will be individualized to participants based on recent marijuana use and related experiences. Feedback given to participants during the MCI session will review progress toward goals as self-reported in percent days abstinent, normative data regarding marijuana use, review of reported consequences of marijuana use, review of abuse and dependence criteria reported, comparison of consequences and abuse and dependence symptoms reported over time, review of the positive outcomes from reductions in use, and review of immediate and long-term life goals and how their marijuana goal will affect these. HEs will offer particular encouragement to take advantage of CBT sessions to participants who feel they currently need treatment.

Primary outcomes

  1. frequency (number of days) of marijuana use

    Time frame: 60 days

    Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - I (self-report measure)

  2. treatment utilization

    Time frame: 90 days

    Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - I

  3. marijuana abuse/dependence symptoms

    Time frame: 60 days

    Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - I

  4. engagement in cognitive behavioral skills training sessions

    Time frame: 90 days

    Frequency of attendance at optional in-school counseling sessions

Secondary outcomes

  1. self-efficacy

    Time frame: 90 days

    Self-efficacy scale that assesses self-efficacy for avoiding marijuana use

  2. normative perceptions of peer marijuana use

    Time frame: 90 days

    Descriptive perceived norms concerning the frequency of marijuana use by other adolescents of the participant's age

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Denise Walker

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Registry information

Official study title

Reaching and Motivating Change in Teen Marijuana Smokers

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2014
Study completion
2014
First posted
Apr 23, 2010
Registry last updated
Oct 27, 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.

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