The Impact of Alternative Social Assistance Disbursement on Drug-related Harm
NCT ID: NCT02457949
Last Updated: 2020-11-17
Study Results
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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TERMINATED
NA
194 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2015-10-27
2019-09-30
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Conducted among 273 PWUD, participants will be allocated for 6 income assistance cycles to a control or one of two intervention arms. Participants in the control arm will receive payments according to the existing monthly government schedule. Participants in the intervention arm will receive their income assistance: (1) monthly on a day different from government cheque issue; or (2) semi-monthly on days different from government cheque issue. The intervention will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods for its impact on drug use and related harms.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
OTHER
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Treatment As Usual (TAU)
Receipt of social assistance on government cheque issue days for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks).
No interventions assigned to this group
Staggered Arm
Receipt of social assistance once monthly on a randomly assigned day that does not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks).
Non-synchronized social assistance receipt
Social assistance disbursement outside government cheque issue week
Staggered and Split Arm
Receipt of social assistance twice monthly on equally spaced randomly assigned days that do not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt, cheque divided into two equal disbursements), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks).
Non-synchronized social assistance receipt
Social assistance disbursement outside government cheque issue week
cheque divided into two equal disbursements
Social assistance disbursement divided into two equal payments
Interventions
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Non-synchronized social assistance receipt
Social assistance disbursement outside government cheque issue week
cheque divided into two equal disbursements
Social assistance disbursement divided into two equal payments
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* reside in greater Vancouver, Canada
* report regular use of illicit drugs other than cannabis
* receive monthly provincial income assistance
* are not currently administered (where cheque issue/money is externally managed)
* be eligible and willing to be a client of the local credit union who will administer the intervention
* report intensified drug use around government cheque issue days
* provide written informed consent
* be willing to comply with study procedures
Exclusion Criteria
* have plans to discontinue income assistance
19 Years
64 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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BC Centre on Substance Use
OTHER
University of British Columbia
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Lindsey Richardson
Assistant Professor
Principal Investigators
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Lindsey Richardson, DPhil
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of British Columbia
Locations
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British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Countries
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References
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Richardson L, Laing A, Choi J, Nosova E, Milloy MJ, Marshall BD, Singer J, Wood E, Kerr T. Effect of alternative income assistance schedules on drug use and drug-related harm: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Public Health. 2021 May;6(5):e324-e334. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00023-2. Epub 2021 Apr 12.
Mendell J, Richardson L. Integrated knowledge translation to strengthen public policy research: a case study from experimental research on income assistance receipt among people who use drugs. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jan 18;21(1):153. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-10121-9.
Richardson L, Laing A, Milloy MJ, Maynard R, Nosyk B, Marshall B, Grafstein E, Daly P, Wood E, Montaner J, Kerr T. Protocol of the impact of alternative social assistance disbursement on drug-related harm (TASA) study: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate changes to payment timing and frequency among people who use illicit drugs. BMC Public Health. 2016 Jul 29;16:668. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3304-6.
Related Links
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British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Other Identifiers
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H14-02401
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id