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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02130479

Testing a Promising Treatment for Youth Substance Abuse in a Community Setting

This study aims to address a serious public health problem (i.e., substance abusing adolescents) by testing the effectiveness of a promising substance abuse treatment implemented in a community-based treatment setting (CM-FAM, a family-based contingency management intervention) in comparison to usual treatment services.

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Key information

Conditions

Substance Abuse Behavior Chemically-Induced Disorders Delinquency Mental Disorders Mental Health Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

12 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1 / Phase 2

Primary location

Circle Park Behavioral Health Services

Florence, South Carolina, 29501, United States

About this study

The overriding purpose of the randomized trial is to examine the effectiveness of a promising and efficient outpatient treatment of adolescent substance abuse delivered in a community-based treatment setting. Although several evidence-based treatments of adolescent substance abuse are emerging, none have experienced widespread adoption in community settings. Thus, as noted by the Institute of Medicine (1998) more than a decade ago and reiterated more recently, a considerable science-service gap exists in regards to treatment of substance abuse in adolescents and adults.

For the proposed study, 204 adolescents meeting diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence will be randomized to either the Contingency Management-Family Engagement (CM-FAM) or Treatment as Usual (TAU) conditions. A multimethod, multirespondent approach will be used to track clinical outcomes at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months post recruitment. Clinical level outcomes pertain to youth substance use, criminal behavior, mental health functioning, and key mediators of serious antisocial behavior in adolescents (e.g., self-control, parental supervision, association with deviant peers). In addition, the incremental cost of CM-FAM will be determined for use in cost effectiveness analyses.

Aim 1: Over an 18-month post-recruitment follow-up, determine the relative effectiveness of CM-FAM vs. TAU in reducing adolescent participants' substance use, criminal activity (including incarceration), and mental health symptoms; and evaluate the cost effectiveness of CM-FAM in achieving these outcomes.

Aim 2: Examine possible moderators and mediators of intervention effectiveness. Moderator variables will include youth demographic and clinical (e.g., co-occurring disorders) characteristics. Mediator variables will include measures of self-control, parenting, and association with deviant peers - constructs targeted by CM-FAM.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age of 12-17 years
  • Meeting criteria for substance use or abuse.

Treatment and study plan

Contingency Management-Family Engagement

Behavioral

Treatment as Usual

Behavioral

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in youths' substance abuse frequency as measured by Urine Drug Screens and the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Scale

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

  2. Change in youths' delinquent behavior as measured by Juvenile Justice Archival Records and the Self-Report Delinquency Scale

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

  3. Change in youths' mental health functioning as measured by the Brief Problem Checklist

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in youths' peer relations as measured by the Peer Delinquency and Drug Activities Scales, the Conventional Activities of Peers Scale, and the Bad Friends Scale from the Pittsburgh Youth Study

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

  2. Change in family functioning as measured by the Caregiver Supervision Scale, the Discipline Scale, and the Communication Form from the Pittsburgh Youth Study

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

  3. Change in youths' self-control as measured by the Good Behavioral Self-Control and the Poor Behavioral Regulation Scales

    Time frame: Youth baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 18 months post-baseline

Other outcomes

  1. Incremental costs associated with CM-FAM as measured by the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program

    Time frame: 6, 18, and 30 months following initiation of CM-FAM delivery

  2. Change in youths' treatment duration and rates of completion as measured by clinic records

    Time frame: 6, 18, and 30 months following initiation of CM-FAM delivery

  3. Change in therapists' perceptions of the functioning of their treatment facility as measured by the Organizational Readiness for Change Scale

    Time frame: Therapist baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24, & 30 months post-baseline

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
May 5, 2014
Registry last updated
Jul 6, 2018

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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