Behavioral Economic and Wellness-based Approaches for Reducing Alcohol Use and Consequences Among Emerging Adults

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

525 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-01-17

Study Completion Date

2026-05-01

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention approach for non-student emerging adults that attempts to reduce alcohol use by decreasing stress and increasing engagement in positive and goal-directed activities that provide meaningful alternatives to alcohol use.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Improving Brief Alcohol Interventions With a Behavioral Economic Supplement

NCT02834949

Alcohol Abuse

COMPLETED NA

Improving Brief Marijuana Interventions With a Behavioral Economic Supplement

NCT02837315

Marijuana Use

COMPLETED NA

Testing the Efficacy of a Brief Alcohol Intervention Among College Students

NCT06776796

Alcohol Use Personalized Normative Feedback

COMPLETED NA

Behavioral Economic Treatment to Enhance Rural (BETTER) Living

NCT05235971

Alcohol Use, Unspecified

COMPLETED NA

Helping College Students With ADHD Lead Healthier Lifestyles

NCT02829970

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Alcohol-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Brief alcohol interventions (BAI) are among the most cost-effective preventive care measures available and the evaluation of these interventions with high-risk and difficult-to-reach populations is an NIAAA priority. Although emerging adults (EAs) who attend college often have access to brief alcohol interventions (BAIs), there is a critical need to enhance both the efficacy and potential for dissemination of these approaches with high-risk non-student EAs. EAs who are not 4-year college students or graduates report higher levels of alcohol-related problems, greater levels of comorbid drug use and mental health symptoms, and higher risk for chronic alcohol use disorder compared to college graduates. Most BAIs include a single session focused explicitly on discussing risks associated with drinking and correcting normative beliefs about drinking rates without addressing the reasons why EAs may drink, including stress and limited behavioral alternatives to drinking. Because many EAs who do not graduate from college are socially and economically marginalized, an approach that encourages them to drink less without providing the tools to reduce stress and develop mood enhancing behavioral substitutes to drinking or drug use is unlikely to be successful. The Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS) attempts to increase engagement goal-directed activities that might provide alternatives to alcohol use and also includes strategies for coping with stress/depression. The two-session (plus booster) BAI+SFAS approach has demonstrated efficacy for reducing both alcohol use/problems and depressive symptoms in two randomized clinical trials with college EAs and may be a more promising approach than single-session BAIs for higher-risk non-student EAs. Two critical next steps are to: 1) evaluate the BAI+SFAS with non-student EAs, and 2) determine if a two-session Relaxation Training (RT) +SFAS approach, which would enhance wellness and address two synergistic risk factors for alcohol misuse, demonstrates similar efficacy as the BAI+SFAS intervention. If so, this wellness-based approach may have greater potential for dissemination than approaches that include a BAI because the session content may be more appealing to EAs (managing stress and increasing positive activities). Thus, the primary goal of the proposed study is to establish the efficacy of these novel BAI approaches with high-risk community dwelling EAs, and a secondary goal is to identify factors that may increase potential for dissemination. We will conduct a randomized 3-group (BAI+SFAS vs. RT+SFAS vs. education control) trial with 525 EAs (175 per group; estimated 50% women \& 50% African American) who report recent heavy drinking and who are not students or graduates of 4-year colleges. Outcomes will be assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Alcohol Abuse

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) + Substance Free Activity Session (SFAS)

Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce alcohol use. A week later, they will receive the Substance-free activity session (SFAS), a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the individual's goals, to highlight the connection between their current patterns of behavior (including drinking and substance-free activities) and the attainment of these goals, and to increase future orientation and engagement in enjoyable and goal-directed activities that are inconsistent with substance use (even if the participant has no desire to change their use).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This session includes a discussion related to harm reduction and the participant's autonomy to make decisions about the information provided in the session; an alcohol use decisional balance exercise; personalized alcohol-related feedback, and goal-setting. Elements included in the feedback are: (a) comparison of the participant's perception of how much he or she drinks and actual norms, (b) a comparison of the participant's alcohol consumption vs. norms, (c) an estimate of the participant's peak blood alcohol content in the past month, (d) alcohol-related problems experienced, (e) money spent on alcohol, and (f) calories consumed from alcohol. Participants discuss the personalized feedback with the clinician and review protective behavioral strategies if he or she indicates interest.

Substance-free Activity Session (SFAS)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The SFAS session includes : a) discussion of life goals, b) discussion of associations between alcohol and drug use, goals, and substance-free activities; c) a graph depicting the participant's ratings of the relative importance of various aspects of their life and how their actions in the past week have been consistent with these priorities; d) personalized feedback on recent time allocation to activities across life domains, and a discussion of any changes the participant would like to make; e) feedback on symptoms of stress, anxiety and discussion of adaptive coping strategies; f) discussion of enjoyable substance-free activities and hobbies and substance-free recreational activity suggestions tailored to individual's interests and neighborhood; g) a goal setting exercise for specific behavior change plans; h) a Future Thinking Writing Exercise. Participants will receive weekly text-message based booster prompts for four weeks after their SFAS session.

Relaxation Training (RT) + Substance Free Activity Session (SFAS)

Participants will complete a relaxation training session that will include a clinician leading them through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, a progressive muscle relaxation protocol, and then a brief breath-counting (mindfulness) exercise. A week later, the participant will receive the SFAS, a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the individual's goals, to highlight the connection between their current patterns of behavior (including drinking and substance-free activities) and the attainment of these goals, and to increase future orientation and engagement in enjoyable and goal-directed activities that are inconsistent with substance use (even if the participant has no desire to change their use).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Substance-free Activity Session (SFAS)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The SFAS session includes : a) discussion of life goals, b) discussion of associations between alcohol and drug use, goals, and substance-free activities; c) a graph depicting the participant's ratings of the relative importance of various aspects of their life and how their actions in the past week have been consistent with these priorities; d) personalized feedback on recent time allocation to activities across life domains, and a discussion of any changes the participant would like to make; e) feedback on symptoms of stress, anxiety and discussion of adaptive coping strategies; f) discussion of enjoyable substance-free activities and hobbies and substance-free recreational activity suggestions tailored to individual's interests and neighborhood; g) a goal setting exercise for specific behavior change plans; h) a Future Thinking Writing Exercise. Participants will receive weekly text-message based booster prompts for four weeks after their SFAS session.

Relaxation Training (RT)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The clinician will begin by establishing the credibility of the session by providing the participant with the rationale that developing relaxation or mindfulness training strategies can reduce stress and enhance wellness. The clinician will then lead the participant through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, followed by a progressive muscle RT protocol, and then a brief breath-counting (mindfulness) exercise. The session will conclude with a brief discussion of additional stress and anxiety management strategies (e.g., apps to monitor heartrate and breathing). Participants will be asked about their reaction to the techniques and, if interested, encouraged to commit to a specific plan for practicing these techniques.

Education Control

This minimal contact control condition will include a brief (2-3 minute) discussion where the research assistant (RA) who completed the assessment session will describe the educational handout. This condition is meant to approximate a public health-level approach to providing referral information and some of the content included in the BAI+SFAS condition but without any of the personalized information or motivational interviewing. Participants will receive information on risks associated with alcohol/drug misuse, strategies for reducing alcohol problems, managing stress, and goal-setting. The handout will also include links to hotlines, websites, and apps related to these domains. This condition will not include booster contact

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Education Control

Intervention Type OTHER

This condition will not include any clinical contact other than a brief (2-3 minute) discussion with the research assistant (RA) who completed the assessment session and who will describe the educational handout. This condition is meant to approximate a low-threshold public health-level approach to providing referral information and some of the content included in the BAI+SFAS condition but without any of the personalized information or MI/clinical contact. Thus, participants will receive information on risks associated with alcohol and drug misuse, strategies for reducing use/problems, and strategies for managing stress and setting and follow-through with achievable goals. The handout will also include links to hotlines, websites, and apps related to these domains. This condition will not include booster contact.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI)

This session includes a discussion related to harm reduction and the participant's autonomy to make decisions about the information provided in the session; an alcohol use decisional balance exercise; personalized alcohol-related feedback, and goal-setting. Elements included in the feedback are: (a) comparison of the participant's perception of how much he or she drinks and actual norms, (b) a comparison of the participant's alcohol consumption vs. norms, (c) an estimate of the participant's peak blood alcohol content in the past month, (d) alcohol-related problems experienced, (e) money spent on alcohol, and (f) calories consumed from alcohol. Participants discuss the personalized feedback with the clinician and review protective behavioral strategies if he or she indicates interest.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Substance-free Activity Session (SFAS)

The SFAS session includes : a) discussion of life goals, b) discussion of associations between alcohol and drug use, goals, and substance-free activities; c) a graph depicting the participant's ratings of the relative importance of various aspects of their life and how their actions in the past week have been consistent with these priorities; d) personalized feedback on recent time allocation to activities across life domains, and a discussion of any changes the participant would like to make; e) feedback on symptoms of stress, anxiety and discussion of adaptive coping strategies; f) discussion of enjoyable substance-free activities and hobbies and substance-free recreational activity suggestions tailored to individual's interests and neighborhood; g) a goal setting exercise for specific behavior change plans; h) a Future Thinking Writing Exercise. Participants will receive weekly text-message based booster prompts for four weeks after their SFAS session.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Relaxation Training (RT)

The clinician will begin by establishing the credibility of the session by providing the participant with the rationale that developing relaxation or mindfulness training strategies can reduce stress and enhance wellness. The clinician will then lead the participant through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, followed by a progressive muscle RT protocol, and then a brief breath-counting (mindfulness) exercise. The session will conclude with a brief discussion of additional stress and anxiety management strategies (e.g., apps to monitor heartrate and breathing). Participants will be asked about their reaction to the techniques and, if interested, encouraged to commit to a specific plan for practicing these techniques.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Education Control

This condition will not include any clinical contact other than a brief (2-3 minute) discussion with the research assistant (RA) who completed the assessment session and who will describe the educational handout. This condition is meant to approximate a low-threshold public health-level approach to providing referral information and some of the content included in the BAI+SFAS condition but without any of the personalized information or MI/clinical contact. Thus, participants will receive information on risks associated with alcohol and drug misuse, strategies for reducing use/problems, and strategies for managing stress and setting and follow-through with achievable goals. The handout will also include links to hotlines, websites, and apps related to these domains. This condition will not include booster contact.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* 18 to 29 years old
* Not a current student or graduate of a 4-year college with no plans to enroll in a 4-year college in the upcoming semester
* Stable domicile and contact information
* Fluent English speaker
* Adequate literacy (\>9th grade reading ability)
* Two or more heavy episodic drinking episodes in the past month (\>5/4 standard drinks for males/ females) or exceeding NIAAA guidelines for high risk drinking (\>14/7 drinks per week for men/women).

Exclusion Criteria

* Current/past psychosis
* Current self-initiated AUD/SUD treatment
* Weekly or greater nonmedical use of prescription drugs or illegal drugs except cannabis
* Risk for alcohol withdrawal as evidenced by either 1) a recent history of alcohol withdrawal symptoms (tremors, anxiety, hallucinations, and seizures that occur after stopping drinking) or 2) very heavy weekly drinking reports on the alcohol screener (\> 40 standard drinks in a typical week in the past month, a value that is \> 2 standard deviations above the average drinks per week level observed in our previous brief alcohol intervention studies).

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

29 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No