Alcoholism
Conditions
Keywords
Cognitive Therapy, Recurrence, Prevention, Educational Technology
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a telephone based self-help program will prevent relapse among individuals undergoing standard substance abuse treatment.
Detailed description
Relapse rates in the first few months following substance abuse treatment are as high as 50%, in spite of the immediate effectiveness of treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Continuing use of therapy skills following treatment is associated with maintenance of treatment gains. We have programmed a telephone to deliver pre-recorded summaries and rehearsal sessions of skills learned in therapy. The system also includes monthly feedback messages from therapists. We expect that this ad-lib access to therapy skills would allow patients to generalize skills to their personal post-treatment lives. It would also allow individuals in remote or rural areas to obtain access to assistance without travel barriers. Comparison(s): patients completing group CBT for substance abuse will be randomly assigned to two conditions. In one condition, patients will have unlimited access to the therapeutic telephone system for 4 months. The other condition is standard care (i.e., no formal relapse prevention).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALDaily monitoring of alcohol & drug use, & therapy skills
Comparison(s): patients completing group CBT for substance abuse will be randomly assigned to two conditions. In one condition, patients will have unlimited access to the therapeutic telephone system for 4 months. The other condition is standard care (i.e., no formal relapse prevention).
BEHAVIORALcontrol group
standard care (no added treatment)
Sponsors
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
University of Vermont
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Meets current DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence * Active drinking during the three months prior to entry into treatment * Minimum age of 19 * Minimum sixth grade reading level.
Exclusion criteria
* Meets criteria for a current psychotic illness * Imminent plans to move or be incarcerated * Presence of such severe hearing, visual, or cognitive deficit(s) that participation in CBT or use of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system are not possible * Inability to identify at least one locator person to assist in tracking for follow-up assessments * Does not have telephone service within the home * Incarceration while in active protocol in the study * Attendance of less than 8 of 12 CBT sessions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amount of alcohol and use | 4 months and one year | drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, percent days abstinent, heavy drinking days |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Utilization of the telephone system components during the study | 4 months and one year | call rate, access of coping skills reviews and practices, access of monthly messages. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed