NCT01051141

Project U Connect - Optimizing Brief Alcohol Intervention for Underage Drinkers in the ER

Optimizing Brief Alcohol Intervention for Underage Drinkers in the ER

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 870 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Michigan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 14 Years – 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The Emergency Department (ED) setting is a unique point of access for reaching underage drinkers (age 14-20). With the aid of computer technology, this study will screen underage drinkers in the ED and fully test promising ED-based brief intervention and 3-month follow-up brief treatment approaches for alcohol misuse. Developing methods to efficiently and effectively optimize these approaches has powerful public health implications for improving outcomes for underage drinkers.

Detailed description

The proposed study will use computerized screening using touchscreen computer tablets with audio (\~5,700 patients) and will test a developmentally appropriate, tailored intervention. Specifically, 900 patients aged 14-20 in the ED who screen positive for problematic alcohol use in the past 3 months will be randomized to the combinations of three ED-based conditions: 1) computer brief intervention-CBI; 2) therapist/intervener delivered brief intervention-IBI; or 3) enhanced usual care-EUC. All participants will be randomized to one of two follow-up conditions: 1) adapted motivational enhancement therapy-AMET; or 2) enhanced usual care-EUC that will take place 3 months post-ED. All participants will receive written information regarding community resources; individuals who meet alcohol use disorder criteria will additionally receive substance use treatment referrals. Recognizing that brief interventions are important, but not necessarily sufficient, for change in all adolescents and young adults who misuse alcohol, the primary specific aims of the proposed study will determine the independent effectiveness of immediate "on-the-spot" ED-based brief intervention conditions, 3-month follow-up brief treatment conditions, and combinations of conditions, for decreasing alcohol use and improving health-related outcomes (including injury, mental health, and other risk behaviors) at 6- and 12-months follow-up.

Conditions

• Alcohol Misuse

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Computer-delivered Brief Intervention (CBI)	The multimedia, interactive CBI condition will be delivered using touch-screen tablet computers with audio delivered via headphones. The interventions are highly individualized and designed to address the primary target behavior of alcohol use, and will include a tailored review of participants' goals/values, feedback regarding their present alcohol use patterns and consequences (either actual experiences or potential based on risk behaviors), developing a discrepancy between their alcohol use and ability to meet goals and values through a decisional balance exercise, and formulation of a "change plan" tailored for each participant.
BEHAVIORAL	Intervener-delivered Brief Intervention (IBI)	The IBI condition will be delivered by a master's-level clinician with the aid of graphics. The interventions are highly individualized and designed to address the primary target behavior of alcohol use, and will include a tailored review of participants' goals/values, feedback regarding their present alcohol use patterns and consequences (either actual experiences or potential based on risk behaviors), developing a discrepancy between their alcohol use and ability to meet goals and values through a decisional balance exercise, and formulation of a "change plan" tailored for each participant.
BEHAVIORAL	Adapted Motivational Enhancement Therapy (AMET)	The AMET session will have a similar general outline (\~45 minutes) to the BI in the ED, including a review of participants' goals and values, alcohol use and consequences, decisional balance exercises, and change plan.

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-09-01
• Primary completion: 2014-03-01
• Completion: 2014-06-01
• First posted: 2010-01-18
• Last updated: 2015-04-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States