DBT Compared to I/GDC for the Treatment of Opiate Addiction in Emotionally Dysregulated Patients. - 1

NCT ID: NCT00218595

Last Updated: 2014-08-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 39 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2004-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2009-06-30

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of DBT compared to a standard drug counseling approach for the treatment of opiate addiction and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Treatment research has repeatedly shown that retention of BPD and substance addicted individuals to be the among the most challenging for therapists. DBT has established itself as one of the most effective treatments for treatment retention of these patients and for reducing parasuicidal and self-injurious behaviors.

This study is one of two in a multi-site RCT for the treatment of opiate addiction. DBT has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of BPD patients and it has been extended in this study to target addictive behaviors in these patients. The study consists of three treatment parts: weekly individual and group therapy and suboxone maintenance medication. Participants are provided therapy on a weekly basis for one year and suboxone for 2 years. Assessments for tracking outcome are conducted every 4 months.

It is hypothesized patients in the DBT condition will show a reduction of substance use, parasuicidal and other psychological difficulties and these gains will be maintained through the year of follow-up assessments. In addition, it is predicted that adherence to DBT treatment protocols will be associated with improved outcomes. Finally, it is predicted that treatment "dosage" (average hours of therapy/week) will be positively related to clinical improvement.

Detailed Description

The study design is a two arm randomized clinical trial comparing a one year treatment program of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) + suboxone for heroin addicted individuals meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) to a one year program of standard drug counseling (I/GDC) + suboxone. Drug counseling will consist of manualized individual sessions + group therapy. Participants in both conditions will be prescribed psychotropic medications following a standardized medication protocol developed specifically for BPD individuals. Each site will enroll 86 clients with both treatment conditions being conducted at each site. Assessments measuring drug use, suicidal behaviors, retention and other treatment-related behaviors, general psychopathology and functioning, and increases in behavioral skills will be given at four month intervals for two years

There are five outcome domains of principal interest in this study:

1. Drug use: The primary outcome measure here is proportions of urinalysis (UA) coded positive for opiates;

2. Suicidal behaviors: The primary outcome measure here is number of suicides + suicide attempts. The domain of suicidal behaviors also includes (a) the number, medical risk, risk/rescue score and suicide intent of all parasuicide, (b) the number of suicide threats and suicide crises, and (c) the level of suicidal ideation and suicide intent;

3. Therapy-interfering behaviors: The primary outcome measure here is maintenance in therapy;

4. Quality of life interfering behaviors: The primary outcome measure here is combined number of days on a psychiatric inpatient unit + days in jail (THI, SHI);

5. Behavioral skills: The primary outcome measure here is the DBT Skills scale score from the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (RWCCL);

6. Risky sexual behavior: the primary outcome measure here is the number of risky sexual behaviors in the time period [Casual Partners questionnaire revised [CPQ-R] and diary card].

Conditions

Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Individual and Group Drug Counseling

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

DBT

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

DBT

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Dialectical behavior therapy plus opiate replacement medication.

I/GDC

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

I/GDC

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Individual and group drug counseling plus opiate replacement medication.

Interventions

DBT

Dialectical behavior therapy plus opiate replacement medication.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

I/GDC

Individual and group drug counseling plus opiate replacement medication.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Meets SCID-I criteria for opiate dependence.

2. Meets IPDE and SCID criteria for BPD (DSM-IV)

3. Over 18 years old

4. Resides within commuting distance of treatment

5. Consents to outpatient treatment for drug addiction

Exclusion Criteria

1. Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform, or Schizoaffective Disorders, Psychosis NOS

2. IQ less than 70; life threatening anorexia; current and chronic absence of shelter; impending jail/prison for more than three weeks (problems which by their presence or severity preclude ability to attend or understand treatment and/or requires priority treatment over SUD treatment)

3. Court order to treatment, court order to treatment or to jail, or agency order to treatment or loss of child custody (due to consequent inability to freely drop-out of treatment)

4. Is pregnant, plans to become pregnant during treatment phase, or becomes pregnant before random assignment to study condition

5. Is unable to tolerate suboxone induction phase

6. Is currently stable on an adequate dose of methadone

7. Current benzodiazepine abuse or dependence

8. Refuses: to discontinue current mental health or drug abuse treatment or random assignment.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Duke University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Zachary Rosenthal, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Duke University

Locations

Duke University Medical Center

Durham, North Carolina, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

5R01DA026454-03

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

R01-17372-1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

Pro00010957

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id