Lifestyle Physical Activity Intervention for Depressed Alcohol Dependent Women

NCT ID: NCT02705898

Last Updated: 2019-08-05

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 70 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2019-07-31

Brief Summary

Building on the large body of evidence for the effect of exercise in decreasing depressive symptoms and the few preliminary findings of its effect on craving and drinking outcomes, the purpose of this study is to develop a lifestyle physical activity (LPA) intervention that harnesses the technological advantages of the Fitbit tracker (plus its web and mobile platforms) for depressed women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The intervention will provide women with an acceptable, flexible and effective alternate coping strategy during early recovery, when relapse risk is highest. The overall objective of this work is to fully develop this LPA+Fitbit intervention, modify it based on initial piloting and feedback to ensure its feasibility and acceptability for depressed women with AUDs in early recovery, propose potential mechanisms of its effect, and to obtain preliminary data on its efficacy.

Detailed Description

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are the 3rd leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and are associated with significant economic burden and health-related negative consequences. While women may be less likely to develop AUDs, they experience more significant negative health consequences of alcohol use than men. Due to stigma, shame, and child care issues; women are less likely to receive specialty addiction treatment. The comorbidity of depression and AUDs is much higher in women, and compared to men, women depression often has a temporal onset prior to an AUD. Relapse rates are very high in both men and women but significant gender differences emerge in the predictors of relapse. Women are more likely to relapse in unpleasant, negative emotional states and depressive symptoms and negative affect mediate the relationship between these stressors and drinking outcomes. More so than men, women with AUDs report drinking to cope with negative emotions. Therefore, intervention approaches that help women develop alternate coping strategies can have an important role in decreasing alcohol relapse among depressed women with AUDs. Given the demonstrated benefits of exercise for decreasing depression, negative affect, and urges to drink, helping women engage in a flexible and acceptable lifestyle physical activity (LPA) intervention may provide them a tool they can utilizing "in the moment" to cope with negative emotional states and alcohol craving during early recovery when relapse risk is highest. Exciting new digital fitness technologies (e.g., Fitbit activity monitor with web and mobile applications) have emerged in recent years that include features able to further enhance critical components for increasing physical activity - goal setting and self-monitoring. The investigators propose to develop a 12-week LPA+Fitbit intervention for depressed women in alcohol treatment. This will include: 1) an in-person physical activity (PA) counseling orientation session; 2) 4 brief, phone-based PA counseling sessions focused on increasing PA and strategically using bouts of PA to cope with affect and alcohol cravings; 3) use of the Fitbit fitness tracker for physical activity goal-setting and daily self-monitoring; and 4) weekly supportive messages delivered by text message. The overall objective of this application is to develop this LPA+Fitbit intervention, modify it based on a initial open pilot (n=20) and feedback to ensure its feasibility and acceptability for depressed women with AUDs in early recovery, propose potential mechanisms, and to obtain preliminary data on its efficacy in a small randomized clinical trial (n=50). The LPA+Fitbit intervention proposed in this application is simple, low-cost, and easily transportable to the varied clinical settings women with AUDs receive treatment. If women with AUDs find the LPA+Fitbit intervention feasible, acceptable, and helpful during early recovery, they could be afforded with a much needed alternate coping strategy that would reduce relapse risk and decrease the overall negative impact of alcohol use on their health and well-being.

Conditions

Alcohol Dependence

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

LPA+Fitbit

A 12-week LPA+Fitbit intervention for depressed women in intensive alcohol treatment. This will include: 1) a single in-person physical activity (PA) counseling orientation session; 2) 6 brief, phone-based PA counseling sessions focused on increasing PA and strategically using bouts of PA to cope with affect and alcohol cravings; 3) use of the Fitbit fitness tracker for physical activity goal-setting and daily self-monitoring; and 4) weekly supportive messages delivered by email.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

LPA+Fitbit

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Health Education Contact Control (HEC)

The HEC condition will include: 1) an in-person orientation session, 2) 6 telephone-delivered health education sessions, and 3) weekly health-related e-mails. A variety of health and lifestyle topics will be addressed including the following: Session 1 (week 1) - Nutrition-What to Eat and What Not to Eat; Session 2 (week 2) - Sleep Problems and Sleep Hygiene; Session 3 (week 4) - Alcohol Use among Women; Session 4 (week 6) - Relaxation training; Session 5 (week 8) - Time Management and Assertiveness; and Session 6 (week 10) - Being a Smart Patient when Coordinating your Healthcare.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

HEC

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Interventions

LPA+Fitbit

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

HEC

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• currently engaged in alcohol treatment
• meets criteria for DSM-5 alcohol use disorder
• score of 1 on ONE of the first 2 items of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
• less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week over the last 6 months
• has access to a computer connected to the internet or a smartphone compatible with the Fitbit application

Exclusion Criteria

• current DSM-5 diagnosis of moderate/severe substance use disorder, anorexia, or bulimia
• history of psychotic disorder or current psychotic symptoms
• current suicidality or homicidality
• current mania
• marked organic impairment
• physical or medical problems that would not allow safe participation in exercise
• currently pregnant or intending to be pregnant in the next 12 weeks

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Butler Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Butler Hospital

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

R34AA024038

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

1507-001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id