Brief Strategic Family Therapy for Adolescent Drug Abusers

NCT ID: NCT00095303

Last Updated: 2015-07-07

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

480 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2004-08-31

Study Completion Date

2011-08-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to compare Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) for Adolescent Drug Abusers to treatment as usual (TAU).

An additional follow up assessment, funded by an American Recovery \& Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, was completed 5 years post randomization in order to examine the long term effects of outpatient treatments for illicit drug using adolescents.

Detailed Description

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Adolescent drug abuse continues to be one of the most pressing public health issues in the United States-our nation's teenagers continue to use illicit drugs at a worrisome rate. Broad reviews of the treatment outcome literature indicate that family interventions in general, and Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) in particular, are effective with drug using youth. This study is designed to compare BSFT to treatment as usual (TAU). The researchers believe that BSFT will be much more effective than TAU in reducing adolescent drug use. They will also examine which of these treatment approaches does a better job of engaging adolescents and family members in treatment, decreasing problem behaviors, decreasing sexually risky behaviors, increasing pro-social activities (e.g., school, work), and improving the functioning of the family.

With the addition of the extended follow up, we have the opportunity to examine the sustainability of study outcomes into early adulthood, filling a gap in the treatment research literature about the long-term effects of adolescent substance abuse treatment. The follow up study examined the long term effectiveness of BSFT compared to TAU in the rates of substance use, number of arrests and externalizing behaviors, in youth who received study treatments at the time when they were adolescents.

Conditions

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Substance Abuse

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)

BSFT is a family therapy approach that consists of 12 to 16 sessions (each 1 to 1.5 hours long) over a 4-month period during the Main Study, and up to 8 "booster" sessions. Interventions are delivered to adolescents and relevant family members in non-restrictive community settings (e.g., clinics, homes, school).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

BSFT is a family therapy approach that consists of 12 to 16 sessions (each 1 to 1.5 hours long) over a 4-month period during the Main Study, and up to 8 "booster" sessions. Interventions are delivered to adolescents and relevant family members in non-restrictive community settings (e.g., clinics, homes, school).

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

TAU varies depending on site, however each will offer services that include at least 1 therapy session (individual or group therapy) per week during the Main Study, as well as participation in ancillary services (e.g., case management, self help groups, etc.) over a four month period.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment as Usual

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

TAU varies depending on site, however each will offer services that include at least 1 therapy session (individual or group therapy) per week during the Main Study, as well as participation in ancillary services (e.g., case management, self help groups, etc.) over a four month period.

Interventions

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Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)

BSFT is a family therapy approach that consists of 12 to 16 sessions (each 1 to 1.5 hours long) over a 4-month period during the Main Study, and up to 8 "booster" sessions. Interventions are delivered to adolescents and relevant family members in non-restrictive community settings (e.g., clinics, homes, school).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual

TAU varies depending on site, however each will offer services that include at least 1 therapy session (individual or group therapy) per week during the Main Study, as well as participation in ancillary services (e.g., case management, self help groups, etc.) over a four month period.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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BSFT TAU

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* adolescents ages 12 to 17
* used any illicit drugs (other than alcohol and tobacco) in the 30-day period
* live with or intend to live with a formal or informal family


* youth must have signed consent during the main study to be approached for future research
* currently 18 years old or older

Exclusion Criteria

* suicidal or homicidal ideation.

Follow Up Study:
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

17 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Oregon Research Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Miami

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jose Szapocznik

Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jose Szapocznik, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Miami

Locations

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La Frontera Center

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Site Status

Tarzana Treatment Center

Tarzana, California, United States

Site Status

Arapahoe House

Thornton, Colorado, United States

Site Status

Gateway Community Services

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Site Status

The Villiage

Miami, Florida, United States

Site Status

Daymark

Concord, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

The Crossroads Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Site Status

Centro de Salud Mental de la Comunidad de Bayamsn

Bayamón, , Puerto Rico

Site Status

Countries

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United States Puerto Rico

References

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Horigian VE, Robbins MS, Dominguez R, Ucha J, Rosa CL. Principles for defining adverse events in behavioral intervention research: lessons from a family-focused adolescent drug abuse trial. Clin Trials. 2010 Feb;7(1):58-68. doi: 10.1177/1740774509356575.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20156957 (View on PubMed)

Robbins MS, Alonso E, Horigian VE, Bachrach K, Burlew K, Carrion IS, Hodgkins CC, Miller M, Schindler E, VanDeMark N, Henderson C, Szapocznik J. Transporting clinical research to community settings: designing and conducting a multisite trial of brief strategic family therapy. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2010 Dec;5(2):54-61.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22002455 (View on PubMed)

Robbins MS, Feaster DJ, Horigian VE, Puccinelli MJ, Henderson C, Szapocznik J. Therapist adherence in brief strategic family therapy for adolescent drug abusers. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011 Feb;79(1):43-53. doi: 10.1037/a0022146.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21261433 (View on PubMed)

Robbins MS, Feaster DJ, Horigian VE, Rohrbaugh M, Shoham V, Bachrach K, Miller M, Burlew KA, Hodgkins C, Carrion I, Vandermark N, Schindler E, Werstlein R, Szapocznik J. Brief strategic family therapy versus treatment as usual: results of a multisite randomized trial for substance using adolescents. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011 Dec;79(6):713-27. doi: 10.1037/a0025477. Epub 2011 Oct 3.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21967492 (View on PubMed)

Weems CF, Feaster DJ, Horigian VE, Robbins MS. Parent and child agreement on anxiety disorder symptoms using the DISC predictive scales. Assessment. 2011 Jun;18(2):213-6. doi: 10.1177/1073191110389278. Epub 2010 Nov 12.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 21075957 (View on PubMed)

Robbins MS, Szapocznik J, Horigian VE, Feaster DJ, Puccinelli M, Jacobs P, Burlew K, Werstlein R, Bachrach K, Brigham G. Brief strategic family therapy for adolescent drug abusers: a multi-site effectiveness study. Contemp Clin Trials. 2009 May;30(3):269-78. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2009.01.004. Epub 2009 Jan 18.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 19470315 (View on PubMed)

Horigian VE, Feaster DJ, Brincks A, Robbins MS, Perez MA, Szapocznik J. The effects of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) on parent substance use and the association between parent and adolescent substance use. Addict Behav. 2015 Mar;42:44-50. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.10.024. Epub 2014 Nov 4.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 25462653 (View on PubMed)

Horigian VE, Weems CF, Robbins MS, Feaster DJ, Ucha J, Miller M, Werstlein R. Reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms in youth receiving substance use treatment. Am J Addict. 2013 Jul-Aug;22(4):329-37. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12031.x.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 23795871 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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U10DA013720

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

5RC2DA028864

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

20090698

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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