Consumption Motives, Patterns and Harm-Reduction Strategies related to Synthetic Cathinones

Consumption Motives, Patterns and Harm-Reduction Strategies related to Synthetic Cathinones - COMPASS

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00035946

Enrollment

1329

Registered

2025-02-28

Start date

2025-03-24

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-08-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

F15

Interventions

Group 1: The study is primarily a single-arm observational study, in which participants are categorized into two main groups based on their current consumption patterns: I) Persons who use synthetic

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: - Individuals who consume synthetic cathinones themselves, know others who do, or are part of an social environment where synthetic cathinones are used. - Sufficient proficiency in German or English to fully understand and complete the online questionnaire. - Provision of informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Failure to meet one or more inclusion criteria (e.g., age below 18, insufficient language proficiency, lack of informed consent, or absence of any relevant exposure to synthetic cathinones).

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The primary endpoint of the study focuses on the comprehensive characterization of the use of synthetic cathinones (SC). 1.1) Use frequency: Measurement of SC use intensity using a 7-point scale (previously established in studies on other substances, e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [Assessment at T1 and T2]. 1.2) Sociodemographic characteristics: Collection of relevant characteristics using standardized selection items (e.g., Michnevich et al., under review) [T1 and T2]. 1.3) Consumption contexts: Analysis of preferred consumption settings using Likert scales and open-ended response fields (Bendau et al., 2025; Michnevich et al., under review) [T1 and T2]. 1.4) Consumption motives: Examination of individual consumption motives based on the validated questionnaire by Boys et al. (2001) [T1 and T2]. 1.5) Screening for problematic use / dependence: Determination of the prevalence of problematic SC use using the CAGE-AID (Brown & Rounds, 1995) and modified BZgA items (BZgA, 2021) [T1 and T2].	—

Measure

Time frame

The primary endpoint of the study focuses on the comprehensive characterization of the use of synthetic cathinones (SC). 1.1) Use frequency: Measurement of SC use intensity using a 7-point scale (previously established in studies on other substances, e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [Assessment at T1 and T2]. 1.2) Sociodemographic characteristics: Collection of relevant characteristics using standardized selection items (e.g., Michnevich et al., under review) [T1 and T2]. 1.3) Consumption contexts: Analysis of preferred consumption settings using Likert scales and open-ended response fields (Bendau et al., 2025; Michnevich et al., under review) [T1 and T2]. 1.4) Consumption motives: Examination of individual consumption motives based on the validated questionnaire by Boys et al. (2001) [T1 and T2]. 1.5) Screening for problematic use / dependence: Determination of the prevalence of problematic SC use using the CAGE-AID (Brown & Rounds, 1995) and modified BZgA items (BZgA, 2021) [T1 and T2].

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
2.1) Adverse effects and consumption-related complications: Assessment of personally experienced and externally observed negative effects using binary items and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.2) Harm reduction strategies: Exploratory analysis of the frequency and description of previously applied harm reduction measures (e.g., safer use techniques; the corresponding binary item and open-ended response field were previously established in a study on GHB/GBL; e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [T1 and T2]. 2.3) Polydrug use: Quantitative and qualitative examination of concurrent substance use patterns and the expected effects, assessed through open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.4) Mislabeling and perception of substance content: Examination of subjective beliefs and experiences regarding mislabeling using a visual analog scale, ordinal-scaled items, and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.5) Reasons for consumption reduction or discontinuation: Exploratory qualitative analysis of subjective motives for reducing or discontinuing SC use (the corresponding binary item and open-ended response field were previously established in a study on GHB/GBL (e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [T1 and T2]. 2.6) Need for support in dealing with SC-related issues: Assessment of specific support needs using binary items and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.7) Mental health and psychiatric diagnoses: Point prevalence of self-reported psychiatric diagnoses (by open-ended responses), as well as the assessment of depression and anxiety symptoms using the PHQ-4 (Löwe et al., 2010) [T1 and T2]. 2.8) Self-perceived health: Measurement of subjective mental and physical health using visual analog scales (adapted from Balestroni & Bertolotti, 2012) [T1 and T2]. 3) Analysis of the effects of risk communication strategies: Analysis of pre-post changes in knowledge, risk perception, anxiety, and behavioral intention in response to autonomy-oriented vs. authoritarian	—

Measure

Time frame

2.1) Adverse effects and consumption-related complications: Assessment of personally experienced and externally observed negative effects using binary items and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.2) Harm reduction strategies: Exploratory analysis of the frequency and description of previously applied harm reduction measures (e.g., safer use techniques; the corresponding binary item and open-ended response field were previously established in a study on GHB/GBL; e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [T1 and T2]. 2.3) Polydrug use: Quantitative and qualitative examination of concurrent substance use patterns and the expected effects, assessed through open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.4) Mislabeling and perception of substance content: Examination of subjective beliefs and experiences regarding mislabeling using a visual analog scale, ordinal-scaled items, and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.5) Reasons for consumption reduction or discontinuation: Exploratory qualitative analysis of subjective motives for reducing or discontinuing SC use (the corresponding binary item and open-ended response field were previously established in a study on GHB/GBL (e.g., Bendau et al., 2025) [T1 and T2]. 2.6) Need for support in dealing with SC-related issues: Assessment of specific support needs using binary items and open-ended response fields [T1 and T2]. 2.7) Mental health and psychiatric diagnoses: Point prevalence of self-reported psychiatric diagnoses (by open-ended responses), as well as the assessment of depression and anxiety symptoms using the PHQ-4 (Löwe et al., 2010) [T1 and T2]. 2.8) Self-perceived health: Measurement of subjective mental and physical health using visual analog scales (adapted from Balestroni & Bertolotti, 2012) [T1 and T2]. 3) Analysis of the effects of risk communication strategies: Analysis of pre-post changes in knowledge, risk perception, anxiety, and behavioral intention in response to autonomy-oriented vs. authoritarian

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Countries

Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Contacts

Public ContactTwyla Michnevich

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Charité Mitte

twyla.michnevich@charite.de+49 30 450 617297

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Aug 10, 2026