Stimulant Use
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this randomized control pilot study is to learn about a financial incentives intervention among individuals who use stimulants and take part in a community-based syringe exchange program. The main question it aims to answer is how financial incentives for not using stimulants will impact stimulant use. Participants in the experimental group will have the opportunity to earn financial incentives for providing a negative urine sample for stimulants using a point-of-care test, which indicates abstinence from stimulant use, along with health education on the health risks of stimulant use and substance injection. Researchers will compare the experimental group to the control group who will receive health education on the health risks of stimulants use and injection.
Detailed description
The investigators are proposing a two condition, parallel groups, randomized control pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of a financial incentives intervention among individuals who use stimulants and take part in a community-based syringe exchange program. The study design will include recruiting service recipients who already participate in programs offered by a syringe exchange program.The experimental group will have the opportunity to earn financial incentives contingent on providing a negative urine sample for stimulants using a point-of-care test, which indicates abstinence from stimulant use, in addition to health education on the health risks of stimulant use and substance injection. The control group will receive health education on the health risks of stimulants use and injection. All participants will participate in their syringe exchange services as usual. The investigators chose the health education as the control because participants across both conditions already receive the services provided by the syringe exchange program. Moreover, this control condition will help control for a potential type of between-groups variability.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIncentives for Abstinence
Participants in the incentives for abstinence condition will have the opportunity to earn financial incentives for abstaining from stimulant use.
BEHAVIORALHealth Education
The Health Education condition is based on a previous intervention used as a control in a number of other studies. Sessions consist of an educational program addressing a variety of health, wellness, and lifestyle topics adapted from a previously implemented wellness manual.
Sponsors
University of Vermont
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* be 18 years or older * report using stimulants in the past 30 days * meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis for stimulant use disorder at a moderate or severe level (i.e., 6 or more of the 11 criteria) * participation in services at syringe exchange program
Exclusion criteria
* failure to meet one or more inclusionary criteria * individuals who are cognitively impaired by their drug use or psychiatric conditions that could preclude informed consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulant Free Urine Sample | 12 weeks | all samples will be assessed using point-of-care test urine drug test conducted at the center |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Pre-assignment details
Inclusion Criteria: * be 18 years or older * report using stimulants in the past 30 days * meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis for stimulant use disorder at a moderate or severe level * participation in services at syringe exchange program
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Health Education The Health Education condition is based on a previous intervention used as a control in a number of other studies. Sessions consist of an educational program addressing a variety of health, wellness, and lifestyle topics adapted from a previously implemented wellness manual. | 13 |
| Health Education Plus Incentives for Abstinence Participants in the health education plus incentives for abstinence condition will have the opportunity to earn financial incentives for abstaining from stimulant use. Additionally, they also receive the health education provided in the Health Education condition, with sessions consisting of an educational program addressing a variety of health, wellness, and lifestyle topics adapted from a previously implemented wellness manual. | 14 |
| Total | 27 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Health Education | Health Education Plus Incentives for Abstinence | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 13 Participants | 14 Participants | 27 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race/Ethnicity Latinx/Hispanic & Black & American Indian/Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race/Ethnicity White | 11 Participants | 12 Participants | 23 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race/Ethnicity White & American Indian/Alaska Native | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race/Ethnicity White & Black/African American | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Sex/Gender, Customized Sex/Gender Female | 6 Participants | 10 Participants | 16 Participants |
| Sex/Gender, Customized Sex/Gender Male | 7 Participants | 4 Participants | 11 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 13 | 0 / 14 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 13 | 0 / 14 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 13 | 0 / 14 |
Outcome results
Primary
Stimulant Free Urine Sample
all samples will be assessed using point-of-care test urine drug test conducted at the center
Time frame: 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Education | Stimulant Free Urine Sample | 6.1 % stimulant-negative urine drug test | Standard Error 2.7 |
| Health Education Plus Incentives for Abstinence | Stimulant Free Urine Sample | 23.6 % stimulant-negative urine drug test | Standard Error 10.3 |