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Substance Use DisordersNCT00105729

Substance Abuse Self-Help Group Referral: Outcomes and Services Use

A study testing Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by US Department of Veterans Affairs at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Self-help groups (SHGs) have become an important component of the system of care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUD patients' participation in SHGs has been linked to lower relapse rates and less use of additional treatment services. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Substance Use Disorders
What is being tested?
Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
345 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2003to Apr 2005
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Consecutive substance use disorder outpatients at VA PA HCS and is not cognitively impaired.

Who cannot join

  • Cognitive impairment

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

    Palo Alto, California, 94304-1290

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Substance Abuse Self-Help Group Referral: Outcome and Services Use

Self-help groups (SHGs) have become an important component of the system of care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUD patients' participation in SHGs has been linked to lower relapse rates and less use of additional treatment services.

Read the detailed description

Background:

Self-help groups (SHGs) have become an important component of the system of care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUD patients' participation in SHGs has been linked to lower relapse rates and less use of additional treatment services.

Objectives:

The first objective was to implement and validate procedures to help counselors make effective referrals to SHGs for SUD patients. This project randomly assigned SUD outpatients to a standard referral or an intensive referral condition. We are determining the extent to which intensive referral increased patients' SHG attendance and involvement in comparison to standard referral. The second objective is to determine whether patients who received intensive referral to SHGs have better substance use and functioning outcomes over the 1-year follow-up period, and less use of formal treatment services, thereby reducing costs for VA, than those who received standard referral. The long-term goal is to develop and implement guidelines to facilitate SUD patients' participation in SHGs and thereby improve their quality of life and decrease their use of VA's specialized SUD treatment services.

Methods:

This project used a randomized design in which 345 patients entering VA outpatient SUD treatment were randomly assigned to either standard or intensive referral to SHGs. Standard referral consisted of the counselor recommending SHG participation. The keys to intensive referral included the counselor facilitating direct contact between the patient and a member of the SHG, and counselor follow-up on the recommendation for self-help. Patients were followed at 6 months and 1 year to determine whether intensive referral resulted in more self-help attendance and involvement; in better substance use and functioning outcomes (using the Addiction Severity Index); and in less use of VA services and lower treatment costs (using methods of the VA Health Economics Resource Center). To make these determinations, we are conducting analyses at each follow-up, and then will use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the benefits of intensive referral over time.

Status:

Project work is ongoing.

Being tested
Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups
Keywords
Self-help groups, Referral and consultation
Medical subject headings
Substance-Related Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groupsBehavioural

Study groups in NCT00105729
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Arm 1OtherNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. DRUG USE AND ALCOHOL USE AT 6 MONTHS AND 1 YEAR

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES USE AT 6 MONTHS AND 1 YEAR

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Mar 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2003
  3. Study completionApr 2005

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
345 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00105729
Sponsor's protocol ID
IIR 20-067
Status last verified
Sep 2006
First submitted
16 Mar 2005
Last updated
7 Apr 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Timko C, Billow R, DeBenedetti A. Determinants of 12-step group affiliation and moderators of the affiliation-abstinence relationship. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006 Jun 28;83(2):111-21. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.11.005. Epub 2005 Dec 9.

    PubMed 16338102
  • Timko C, DeBenedetti A. A randomized controlled trial of intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups: one-year outcomes. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Oct 8;90(2-3):270-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.04.007. Epub 2007 May 24.

    PubMed 17524574

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by US Department of Veterans Affairs at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Apr 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

DRUG USE AND ALCOHOL USE AT 6 MONTHS AND 1 YEAR. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00105729, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Apr 2015.

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