Substance Abuse Self-Help Group Referral: Outcomes and Services Use

NCT ID: NCT00105729

Last Updated: 2015-04-07

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

345 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2003-01-31

Study Completion Date

2005-04-30

Brief Summary

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Self-help groups (SHGs) have become an important component of the system of care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUD patients' participation in SHGs has been linked to lower relapse rates and less use of additional treatment services.

Detailed Description

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Background:

Self-help groups (SHGs) have become an important component of the system of care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUD patients' participation in SHGs has been linked to lower relapse rates and less use of additional treatment services.

Objectives:

The first objective was to implement and validate procedures to help counselors make effective referrals to SHGs for SUD patients. This project randomly assigned SUD outpatients to a standard referral or an intensive referral condition. We are determining the extent to which intensive referral increased patients' SHG attendance and involvement in comparison to standard referral. The second objective is to determine whether patients who received intensive referral to SHGs have better substance use and functioning outcomes over the 1-year follow-up period, and less use of formal treatment services, thereby reducing costs for VA, than those who received standard referral. The long-term goal is to develop and implement guidelines to facilitate SUD patients' participation in SHGs and thereby improve their quality of life and decrease their use of VA's specialized SUD treatment services.

Methods:

This project used a randomized design in which 345 patients entering VA outpatient SUD treatment were randomly assigned to either standard or intensive referral to SHGs. Standard referral consisted of the counselor recommending SHG participation. The keys to intensive referral included the counselor facilitating direct contact between the patient and a member of the SHG, and counselor follow-up on the recommendation for self-help. Patients were followed at 6 months and 1 year to determine whether intensive referral resulted in more self-help attendance and involvement; in better substance use and functioning outcomes (using the Addiction Severity Index); and in less use of VA services and lower treatment costs (using methods of the VA Health Economics Resource Center). To make these determinations, we are conducting analyses at each follow-up, and then will use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the benefits of intensive referral over time.

Status:

Project work is ongoing.

Conditions

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Substance Use Disorders

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Arm 1

Group Type OTHER

Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Interventions

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Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Consecutive substance use disorder outpatients at VA PA HCS and is not cognitively impaired.

Exclusion Criteria

Cognitive impairment
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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US Department of Veterans Affairs

FED

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Christine Timko, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

Locations

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VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, California, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Timko C, Billow R, DeBenedetti A. Determinants of 12-step group affiliation and moderators of the affiliation-abstinence relationship. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006 Jun 28;83(2):111-21. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.11.005. Epub 2005 Dec 9.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 16338102 (View on PubMed)

Timko C, DeBenedetti A. A randomized controlled trial of intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups: one-year outcomes. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Oct 8;90(2-3):270-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.04.007. Epub 2007 May 24.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 17524574 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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IIR 20-067

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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