Testing the Efficacy of an Online Integrated Treatment for Comorbid Alcohol Misuse and Emotional Problems

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

273 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-09-04

Study Completion Date

2020-03-17

Brief Summary

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Considering the high comorbidity between alcohol use disorders and emotional problems, there is currently a need for accessible, integrated treatments designed to target both disorders simultaneously. Evidence suggests that the combined use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) may be effective at reducing the combined symptoms of the two disorders. However, much of the empirical work has focused on testing the usefulness of CBT/MI for alcohol misuse and comorbid depression, and the majority of these studies involve in-person treatment. Therefore, additional empirical research is required to determine the efficacy of combined CBT and MI for alcohol use and both anxiety and depression using an online intervention. This may help inform future treatments in this domain, and potentially be able to inform the development of online, accessible interventions for this population.

Participants (N = 214) with elevated levels of alcohol use and emotional problems will be recruited from Central and Eastern Canada. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the treatment group (i.e., combined CBT and MI), or the psycho-educational control group. Individuals in the treatment group will be given 8-weeks to work through 12 online modules. Throughout the modules, participants will identify goals related to alcohol use and mood, learn strategies to cope with alcohol cravings, triggers, and social pressures, and learn how to prevent relapse. Modules will also include content designed to target anxiety and depression, focusing on strategies designed to help reduce negative thinking and worry, increase behavioural activation, and increase self-care (e.g., relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene). Participants randomly assigned to the control (i.e., psycho-education) condition will receive links to websites that provide general psychoeducation about alcohol and mental illness. All participants will complete online assessment measures at baseline, at the end of treatment, and at follow-up approximately 4 months later) in order to assess the efficacy of the treatment. At the end of the study, individuals in the control group will be given full access to the treatment.

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Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Alcohol Use Disorder

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

A two-arm RCT will be conducted to evaluate the proposed online intervention. Eligible participants will be randomized to either the online integrated treatment condition, or the psycho-educaton (i.e., control) condition.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Integrated Online CBT and MI

Participants in this arm will be given access to the online integrated treatment.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Integrated Online CBT and MI

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The treatment condition will have access to 12 treatment modules and have 8-weeks to complete them. The content of all modules is derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Through module engagement, young adults will identify goals related to alcohol use and mood, learn strategies to cope with alcohol cravings, triggers, and social pressures, and learn how to prevent relapse. There will also be several modules to target anxiety and depression, focusing on strategies designed to help reduce negative thinking and worry, increase behavioural activation, and increase self-care (e.g., sleep hygiene).Participants will have immediate access to all modules, and it will be recommended that they work through the modules sequentially.

Psychoeducation (Control)

The control group will be provided with psychoeducational resources about alcohol and mental illness.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Integrated Online CBT and MI

The treatment condition will have access to 12 treatment modules and have 8-weeks to complete them. The content of all modules is derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Through module engagement, young adults will identify goals related to alcohol use and mood, learn strategies to cope with alcohol cravings, triggers, and social pressures, and learn how to prevent relapse. There will also be several modules to target anxiety and depression, focusing on strategies designed to help reduce negative thinking and worry, increase behavioural activation, and increase self-care (e.g., sleep hygiene).Participants will have immediate access to all modules, and it will be recommended that they work through the modules sequentially.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Individuals between 18 and 35 years old
* Reporting at least moderate difficulties with alcohol indicated by a score \>3 (for women) and \<4 (for men) on the first three items of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test \[AUDIT\], known as the AUDIT-C
* Reporting at least moderate depression and/or anxiety symptoms indicated by a score \>16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale \[CES-D\] and/or a score of \>5 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 \[GAD-7\]
* Fluency in English
* Have weekly Internet access

Exclusion Criteria

* Self-reported engagement in other psychological or pharmacological treatments for alcohol misuse and/or depression/anxiety (with the exception of stable anti-depressants)
* Elevated suicidality (defined as scoring greater than "minimal risk" on a screener)
* Current psychosis or mania

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

35 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes