Brief Family-Based Cannabis Use Intervention for Youth With Early Juvenile Justice Involvement

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age12-16
SponsorRhode Island Hospital

About this trial

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if a brief family-based intervention in effective in reducing cannabis use and delinquency in youth participating in juvenile diversion. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Hypothesis 1: the intervention will be (a) feasible, as evidenced by enrollment rates (\> 80%), follow-up rates (\> 80%), and withdrawal rates (\< 20%); and (b) acceptable, as evidenced by \> 80% of treatment evaluation ratings in the highest two Likert rating categories and positive exit interview feedback.

Hypothesis 2: those parents in the experimental condition, as compared to the active comparison psychoeducation condition, will evidence greater improvement over time in the hypothesized family-level mechanisms proposed in the intervention (i.e., parenting practices and parent well-being) as well as in youth-level outcomes, including cannabis use, recidivism, and HIV/STI risk.

Researchers will compare the family-based treatment to parenting psychoeducation. Caregiver and youth participants will complete measures relevant to primary outcomes and putative mechanisms at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

None

Disqualifiers

None

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Brief Family Based Intervention

    Behavioral

    The intervention is proposed as 6 sessions long and will have the following modules: 1) Introduction to Treatment; 2) Parent Training Strategies (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); 3) Improving Parent Well-Being (clinician must cover at least 1 topic from this module); and 4) Treatment Termination and Future Planning. Youth may attend the first and last session, in addition to other relevant sessions (e.g., household rules/consequences); parents will attend every session. Clinicians will use measures available from the baseline assessment relevant to treatment mechanisms (i.e., indices of parent well-being and parenting skills, the initial clinical interview from the first session, and the family's treatment goals to determine session content.

  • Parenting Psychoeducation

    Behavioral

    Psychoeducation in the comparison group will involve 6 hour-long sessions delivered via secure videoconferencing focused on providing parents with key developmental knowledge regarding adolescence and parenting. To differentiate the psychoeducation provided in the intervention group, sessions will focus on typical adolescent development and parenting knowledge derived from Centers for Disease Control publicly available information.The first two sessions will provide information about typical developmental milestones in adolescence (e.g., increased need for privacy and independence). The third and fourth session will provide information on healthy vs. unhealthy behaviors in adolescence (e.g., safe driving behaviors). Finally, the final two sessions will give parents' knowledge regarding general positive parenting practices to shape healthy adolescent development. This is an active comparison condition seeking to change parents' parenting knowledge regarding typical challenges parents

Treatment groups

60 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Family-based interventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Parenting PsychoeducationActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Timeline Follow-Back

This youth report measure assess for past 90-day youth cannabis, alcohol, other drug use, as well as risky sexual behaviors on use days.

Time frame
The Timeline Follow-Back will be administered at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months post baseline.
2

Official arrest records

Official arrest records will be collected as an index of recidivism among youth.

Time frame
Official arrest records will be collected for the 12 months following baseline.
3

Marijuana Adolescent Problem Inventory

This youth-reported measure assesses for cannabis-related consequences among youth.

Time frame
We will collect this measure at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months post baseline.

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

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Rhode Island Hospital

Lead sponsor

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Collaborator

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: