Substance Use Interventions for Truant Adolescents

NCT ID: NCT03655574

Last Updated: 2024-06-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 110 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2024-04-30

Brief Summary

This study evaluates a brief motivation-building intervention for parents and teens to reduce truancy and substance use. It is hypothesized that the motivational intervention will result in better outcomes compared to an education-only intervention.

Detailed Description

Adolescents who use marijuana and are truant from school are a high-risk population with increased likelihood of substance use disorders, criminal justice involvement, and long-term impairments in vocational, family, and peer domains.

This study will test a theory-driven intervention for early adolescent marijuana using, truant youth identified through Rhode Island Truancy and Family Courts. Adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of the 2 conditions: a motivational interview versus psychoeducation.

Conditions

Adolescent Problem Behavior; Truancy; Unsocialized; Marijuana Abuse; Truancy; Socialized; Substance Abuse; Alcohol Abuse

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

The MET individual session covers three constructs; 1) intentions to use marijuana; 2) normative beliefs about peer substance use; and 3) attitudes towards peer substance use. These same three constructs are also addressed with respect to truancy. In addition, motivation to abstain from substance use is discussed.

The FCU session with teens and parents/caregivers begins by collecting self-report measures and conducting a videotaped Family Assessment Task (FAsTask) to assess parent-teen interactions. The FAsTask is the basis of FCU feedback. There are four specific phases of the feedback session: 1) Self-assessment, 2) Support and clarification, 3) Feedback, and, 4) Action plan.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

In the MET session, motivational strategies of individualized normative feedback, examining decisional balance, and providing information/advice will be used to support goals for behavior change and to examine barriers to changes. There are four specific phases of the FCU session: (1) Self-assessment: Parents are asked if they learned anything about their family from participating in the assessment. (2) Support and clarification: The interviewer supports the parent's self-assessment efforts, assesses their level of understanding, and clarifies issues within the family. (3) Feedback: A summary form of the assessment is reviewed. (4) Action Plan: Throughout the session, the counselor works with the parent to develop a brief, written Action Plan about communication and monitoring.

Psychoeducation

An interventionist will review a set of educational materials with the parents regarding teen marijuana use, effects of marijuana on the brain, body and behavior, risks associated with marijuana use, how to tell if a teen is engaging in marijuana use or truancy, and parenting skills. A comparable set of materials will be reviewed with the adolescent.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Psychoeducation

Intervention Type: OTHER

Psychoeducation about substances is provided to teens and parents.

Interventions

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

In the MET session, motivational strategies of individualized normative feedback, examining decisional balance, and providing information/advice will be used to support goals for behavior change and to examine barriers to changes. There are four specific phases of the FCU session: (1) Self-assessment: Parents are asked if they learned anything about their family from participating in the assessment. (2) Support and clarification: The interviewer supports the parent's self-assessment efforts, assesses their level of understanding, and clarifies issues within the family. (3) Feedback: A summary form of the assessment is reviewed. (4) Action Plan: Throughout the session, the counselor works with the parent to develop a brief, written Action Plan about communication and monitoring.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation about substances is provided to teens and parents.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• the target child is in 6th-10th grade at the start of the project and living at home with at least one parent/guardian,
• the teen must report 6 or more incidences of marijuana use in the last 90 days (an approximation of biweekly use)
• by law, the teen must have at least 20 unexcused absences in an academic year to be in truancy court, and (4) parental consent and teen assent are obtained.

Exclusion Criteria

• the family is not able to speak and understand English or Spanish well enough to complete study procedures
• developmental delay, as determined by school placements outside the regular classroom, that would affect comprehension of the intervention.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Brown University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Anthony Spirito, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brown University

Locations

Rhode Island Family Court

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Brown Univerity

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

1R01DA045396-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

1802001993

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id