Personalized Approach to Healthy Use and Recovery (PATH) Trial

ConditionSubstance Use Disorder

Trial statusRecruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age18+

SponsorVA Office of Research and Development

About this trial

An important part of substance use treatment for many people is learning what triggers their substance use and urges, and how they can better manage those triggers. In this study, the investigators will generate a model for each individual that shows likely causal links between their substance use, urges, and comorbid symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and the investigators will examine these models as a group to draw conclusions about common causes for substance use (and recovery) among Veterans with substance use disorders. The investigators will also test whether receiving a personal model and clinical feedback improves substance use disorder and comorbid symptom outcomes. Results will include both patient-reported and statistically-determined causes of substance use for individuals and groups, clinical impact of a personalized model and feedback session, and participant feedback about the relevance of this study and intervention.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Inclusion criteria for this study are intended to include most Veterans with SUD

a clinical score on the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) or drug use disorders identification test (DUDIT)

past-month substance use

a reliable access to a smartphone, tablet, or other device with capability of accessing and completing surveys throughout the day

Disqualifiers

exclusion criteria are being under the influence of a judgment-impairing substance at the time of consent (e.g., cannabis, alcohol, illicit opioids)

participants will be invited to return another day

being legally compelled to complete treatment

or being under civil commitment

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Personal Causal Model + Personalized Feedback
Behavioral
Receive a personal causal model of one's personalized causes of substance use/urges, along with a 1-hour, live clinical feedback session to suggest how to apply these insights to one's own recovery.

Treatment groups

74 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: InterventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: ControlNo intervention 0 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Substance use

Substance use will be measured as number of days each substance was used in the past 30 days using National Survey on Drug Use and Health questions. Substances measured are nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine/crack, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, methamphetamine, pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and prescription stimulants. For alcohol, we will also obtain number of drinks consumed on each day, and will analyze whether average number of drinks per drinking day has changed during each follow-up period.

Time frame