Substance Use DisordersP2PNCT05374395
Enhancing Substance Use Treatment Services to Decrease Dropout and Improve Outpatient Treatment Utilization in Emerging Adults
A study testing Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by UConn Health at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Emerging adults (ages 18-25) are at higher risk for substance use disorders, including opiate addiction, than any other age group but are also more likely to drop out early from substance use treatment services. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Substance Use Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 11 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2023to 28 Feb 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 18-25
- initiating outpatient treatment for a substance use problem
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Emerging adults (ages 18-25) are at higher risk for substance use disorders, including opiate addiction, than any other age group but are also more likely to drop out early from substance use treatment services. This project will evaluate an enhancement to usual services, delivered by peer recovery supports, specifically aimed at improving treatment adherence and reducing dropout in this age group. The study will also answer key questions about risk factors for dropout among emerging adults and the financial sustainability of enhancing services to reduce dropout.
Read the detailed description
Emerging adults (EAs; ages 18-25) have higher rates of substance use disorders than any other age group and have been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis. EAs also demonstrate poor adherence to healthcare regimens associated with substance use services, with higher dropout rates and lower service utilization than any other age group. This poor adherence leads to devastating outcomes, including continued substance use, incarceration, and overdose. In addition, high dropout rates contribute to skyrocketing costs to treatment systems as a result of more acute service needs, expensive service utilization, and long waitlists. Cost-effective strategies that are aimed at improving treatment adherence to substance use services and tailored to meet the unique developmental needs of EAs are an imminent need. Further, little is known about risk factors for dropout specific to this age group, hindering effective system responses to this significant problem.
At the same time, substance use service systems are increasingly using peer recovery supports (PRS; i.e., paraprofessionals who have "lived experience" with substance use problems) to bolster treatment outcomes without incurring considerable additional costs. However, services delivered by PRS have not been tailored specifically to reduce EA dropout, and few have been rigorously tested at all. The current study will evaluate an innovative EA-specific dropout prevention enhancement to usual treatment services, delivered by PRS in community-based substance use treatment clinics (Aim 1). The investigators will employ a stepped-wedge cluster randomized design, resulting in each clinic having a longitudinal usual services phase and a longitudinal dropout prevention phase. The two phases will be compared on rates of EA dropout and service utilization using objective data from clinical charts.
- Conditions
- Substance Use Disorders
- Being tested
- Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement
- Keywords
- peer recovery supports, emerging adults, recovery support services
- 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.
Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancementBehavioural
Peer recovery supports will meet with emerging adults for four weekly sessions plus monthly check-ins during the next two months. Peer recovery supports will engage the emerging adults in motivational and skills-based strategies aimed at increasing adherence to services and attendance to treatment sessions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Usual Services | No intervention | clinics will continue to deliver their normal outpatient services |
| Peer Recovery Support - Delivered Dropout Prevention + Usual Services | Experimental | clinics will continue to deliver their normal outpatient services plus the peer recovery support-delivered dropout prevention enhancement Receives: Behavioral: Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of patients who dropout from substance use services
Data will come from de-identified clinical charts. Dropout will be defined in two ways: 1) patient did not complete the total number of sessions prescribed in the treatment plan and 2) patient was in treatment for less than 90 days.
Measured: 90 days from initiation of treatment
Number of missed sessions and no show sessions
Data will come from de-identified clinical charts. Number of missed sessions or no shows will be evaluated based on the number of scheduled sessions.
Measured: 90 days from initiation of treatment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 May 2022
- Study start1 Jul 2023
- Primary completion1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Substance Use DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- A stepped-wedge cluster randomized design will include five blocks of two clinics randomized to the timing of the Peer recovery support-delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement, with each clinic having two phases: a longitudinal Usual Services (US) Phase and a longitudinal Usual Services + Peer recovery support-delivered Dropout Prevention (PDP) enhancement Phase. All clusters will have a baseline phase and will be randomized to the timing of the PDP phase. Once randomized to begin, all clusters will have a 24-month US+PDP Phase.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UConn Health
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Oregon Social Learning Center, University of Texas at Austin
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kristyn Zajac, UConn Health
- Investigators
- Kristyn Zajac, PhD, Principal investigator, UConn Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05374395
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 21-097-2
- Acronym
- P2P
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 10 May 2022
- Last updated
- 4 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Enhancing Substance Use Treatment Services to Decrease Dropout and Improve Outpatient Treatment Utilization in Emerging Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05374395
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- P2P / 21-097-2
- Conditions
- Substance Use Disorders
- Keywords
- peer recovery supports, emerging adults, recovery support services
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 11 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- UConn HealthUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Oregon Social Learning Center, University of Texas at Austin
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 May 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Emerging adults (ages 18-25) are at higher risk for substance use disorders, including opiate addiction, than any other age group but are also more likely to drop out early from substance use treatment services. This project will evaluate an enhancement to usual services, delivered by peer recovery supports, specifically aimed at improving treatment adherence and reducing dropout in this age group. The study will also answer key questions about risk factors for dropout among emerging adults and the financial sustainability of enhancing services to reduce dropout.
Detailed description
Emerging adults (EAs; ages 18-25) have higher rates of substance use disorders than any other age group and have been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis. EAs also demonstrate poor adherence to healthcare regimens associated with substance use services, with higher dropout rates and lower service utilization than any other age group. This poor adherence leads to devastating outcomes, including continued substance use, incarceration, and overdose. In addition, high dropout rates contribute to skyrocketing costs to treatment systems as a result of more acute service needs, expensive service utilization, and long waitlists. Cost-effective strategies that are aimed at improving treatment adherence to substance use services and tailored to meet the unique developmental needs of EAs are an imminent need. Further, little is known about risk factors for dropout specific to this age group, hindering effective system responses to this significant problem.
At the same time, substance use service systems are increasingly using peer recovery supports (PRS; i.e., paraprofessionals who have "lived experience" with substance use problems) to bolster treatment outcomes without incurring considerable additional costs. However, services delivered by PRS have not been tailored specifically to reduce EA dropout, and few have been rigorously tested at all. The current study will evaluate an innovative EA-specific dropout prevention enhancement to usual treatment services, delivered by PRS in community-based substance use treatment clinics (Aim 1). The investigators will employ a stepped-wedge cluster randomized design, resulting in each clinic having a longitudinal usual services phase and a longitudinal dropout prevention phase. The two phases will be compared on rates of EA dropout and service utilization using objective data from clinical charts.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- A stepped-wedge cluster randomized design will include five blocks of two clinics randomized to the timing of the Peer recovery support-delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement, with each clinic having two phases: a longitudinal Usual Services (US) Phase and a longitudinal Usual Services + Peer recovery support-delivered Dropout Prevention (PDP) enhancement Phase. All clusters will have a baseline phase and will be randomized to the timing of the PDP phase. Once randomized to begin, all clusters will have a 24-month US+PDP Phase.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Usual Services | No intervention | –clinics will continue to deliver their normal outpatient services |
| Peer Recovery Support - Delivered Dropout Prevention + Usual Services | Experimental | Behavioral: Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancementclinics will continue to deliver their normal outpatient services plus the peer recovery support-delivered dropout prevention enhancement |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 18-25
- initiating outpatient treatment for a substance use problem
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancementPeer recovery supports will meet with emerging adults for four weekly sessions plus monthly check-ins during the next two months. Peer recovery supports will engage the emerging adults in motivational and skills-based strategies aimed at increasing adherence to services and attendance to treatment sessions. | Behavioural | Peer Recovery Support - Delivered Dropout Prevention + Usual Services |
Primary outcome
Number of patients who dropout from substance use services
Time frame: 90 days from initiation of treatment
Data will come from de-identified clinical charts. Dropout will be defined in two ways: 1) patient did not complete the total number of sessions prescribed in the treatment plan and 2) patient was in treatment for less than 90 days.
Number of missed sessions and no show sessions
Time frame: 90 days from initiation of treatment
Data will come from de-identified clinical charts. Number of missed sessions or no shows will be evaluated based on the number of scheduled sessions.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Sep 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kristyn Zajac, PhD principal investigator
UConn Health
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Peer Recovery Support-Delivered Dropout Prevention enhancement in people with Substance Use Disorders, run by UConn Health 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 2 inclusion and 0 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Sep 2026. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Number of patients who dropout from substance use services (time frame: 90 days from initiation of treatment). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 4 Sep 2026.