Renewed Recovery: a Pilot Test of a Web-Based Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Continuing Care Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorder

This study aims to design, implement, and evaluate a pilot test of a web-based Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) continuing care intervention to support individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) exiting standard outpatient treatment. Guided by the Centre for eHealth and Wellbeing Research (CeHRes) roadmap, the project follows a structured framework for digital intervention development: (1) contextual inquiry, (2) value specification, (3) design, (4) operationalization, and (5) summative evaluation. Contextual inquiry is defined as gathering information from the intended users and the environment in which the technology will be implemented. The next step, value specification, is defined as the quantification of the values of the key stakeholders, where the user requirements for the technology and the most favorable solutions emerge. This process elaborates on what was discovered in the contextual inquiry step and an analytical hierarchy is conducted to assign quantifiable values to the stakeholders' priorities for the intervention. Design is the step defined as the process of building prototypes of the technology that fit with the values and requirements of the stakeholders, and then testing the prototype in realistic situations. Operationalization is the implementation of the intervention. The final step, summative evaluation, is the assessment of the intervention's impact.

The research team plans to conduct a needs assessment (Aim 1a), develop (Aim 1b), implement (Aim 2a), and evaluate (Aim 2b) a pilot test of a web-based MBRP continuing care intervention, named "Renewed Recovery", targeting individuals exiting standard outpatient treatment for alcohol.

Aim 1: Design a web-based mindfulness continuing care intervention.

Aim 1a: Conduct a community needs assessment. To understand the need for such an intervention, semi-structured qualitative interviews with program administrators (n=3) from partnering substance use treatment facilities will be conducted (contextual inquiry). To better understand the recovery journey after exiting standard outpatient treatment, semi-structured interviews with individuals (n\~10) who have been in treatment more than once will be conducted (contextual inquiry). After interviewing the 2 stakeholder groups, a meeting will be held to determine their list of priorities for this project (value specification).

Aim 1b: Develop the intervention website (design). The website for the intervention will be created by creating multiple wireframe iterations and presenting them to the stakeholders to determine the best formatting. The curriculum on the site will be modeled after the original MBRP curriculum. After coming to a consensus on the best version of the website, a usability test will be conducted of a newly created prototype with the same 10 individuals who identified as having been in treatment more than once. A quantitative survey will be employed and a focus groups will be held to assess the usability, equitability, enjoyability, and usefulness of the website.

Aim 2: Implement and evaluate the pilot test at partnering treatment facilities.

Aim 2a: Implement the pilot test of the web-based MBRP continuing care intervention (operationalization). After altering the intervention based on the usability test, the program will begin to be implemented. 30 people (3 groups of 10) will. Be recruited to participate in the intervention that will be 8 weeks in length (1 module per week, for a total of 8 modules), composed of a self-guided curriculum of text and videos, as well as two zoom sessions to practice meditating as a group.

Aim 2b: Evaluate the pilot test to determine process and behavior outcomes (summative evaluation). To measure process outcomes, surveys will be employed asking about the usability, equitability, enjoyability, and usefulness of the website as well as their overall satisfaction with the intervention. Recruitment and retention rates will be another identifier of process outcomes. To measure behavior outcomes, participants will be given a multitude of measures at baseline to measure relapse, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, coping mechanisms, social support, acceptance, mindfulness, and reactivity to triggers. Analysis of these measures will be done via multilevel modeling. These measures will also be given at the completion of the program and at 3 months after completion.