Pilot of a Drug Education Curriculum for Middle and High School Students (iDECIDE)

October 30, 2026 updated by: Randi Melissa Schuster, Massachusetts General Hospital

Development of a Drug Education Curriculum for Middle and High School Students

The goal of this pilot study is to measure the feasibility, sustainability, and acceptability of a drug education curriculum (IDECIDE) in middle and high students who have endorsed past-month substance use.The main question it aims to answer is:

1) What is the impact of iDECIDE on the the knowledge of drug effects and teen brain development, attitudes and perceptions of drug-related harms, and willingness to quit or reduce substance use?

Participants will be asked to participate in 4 sessions of the iDECIDE curriculum and complete surveys and interview questionnaires over the course of approximately 3 months.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study will be a one-arm pilot study enrolling approximately 100 middle and high school students who have endorsed substance use in the past month. Participants will be followed over 3 months. All participants will receive iDECIDE developed to provide behavioral support and psychoeducation via videoconference or in-person visits. The purpose of iDECIDE is to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions regarding substance use. Data collection will occur during seven visits over the span of approximately three months, including one baseline visit, four weekly visits during the intervention phase of the study, and then two follow-up visits. The follow-up visits will occur at approximately one week and one month following the end-of-intervention. Participants will complete questionnaires and assessments throughout the study. Primary outcomes (Knowledge of Drug Effects and Brain Development readiness to quit, readiness to reduce, perceptions of harm) will be assessed at visit 1 (baseline), visit 6 (one week follow-up), and visit 7 (one month follow-up). Participants will be compensated for session attendance.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children and adolescents who are currently enrolled in middle or high school;
  • Have currently used (i.e., at least once in the past 30 days) any substance without a prescription;
  • Have a parent or legal guardian who is able and willing to provide written informed consent for the active study phase (if under the age of 18);
  • Competent and willing to provide written informed assent for the active study phase (if under the age of 18);
  • Competent and able to provide written informed consent (if age 18 or older);
  • Able to communicate in English language;
  • Able to commit to 7 study visits in approximately 2 months;
  • Able to safely participate in the protocol and appropriate for outpatient level of care, in the opinion of the investigator;
  • Has access to a reliable internet connection and a device that can run Zoom.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Ever been in substance use treatment;
  • Ever engaged in IV drug use;
  • Current daily alcohol, or daily non-medical benzodiazepine and/or opioid use.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: iDECIDE

Participants will…

  1. Receive 4 weekly sessions of the iDECIDE drug curriculum.
  2. Complete assessments and questionnaires, including self-reports of substance use.
Behavioral: iDECIDE

iDECIDE is a 4-session drug education and diversion program that addresses topics such as the neurobiology and addiction, adolescent brain development, industry tactics, motives for using substances, risk and protective factors, identifying triggers, healthy alternatives, core values, and long-term goal setting. These topics are taught via facilitated discussions, videos, worksheets, and handouts. The iDECIDE drug curriculum will be delivered weekly for 4 weeks via videoconference or in-person visits. Each session typically takes 60-75 minutes. For this study, facilitators are members of study staff.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Knowledge of Drug Effects & Brain Development
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

Knowledge of Drug Effects and Brain Development will be measured by number of items correct on a 25-item multiple-choice questionnaire that assesses knowledge taught in the iDECIDE curriculum, including neurobiology of addiction, side effects of substance, and industry tactics to market substances to young audiences.
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up
Readiness to Quit or Reduce Substance Use
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

Participants will complete a Readiness Ruler to determine how ready they are to quit and reduce their primary substance on a scale from 1 (not at all ready) to 10 (very ready).
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up
Perceived Harm of Substance Use
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

The Perceived Harm of Substance Use measure was modified from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Participants will assess their perceived harm of various forms of substance use using four response categories that range from no risk to great risk.
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Frequency of Substance Use
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

The Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) will be used to measure number of days the participant used a substance, which substances were used, and the frequency of which substances were used. The initial TLFB at the baseline visit will measure substances used in the past 90 days. Participants will be prompted to share their substance use since their baseline and follow-up visits during the one-week and one-month follow-up visits, respectively.
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Anxiety symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Revised (SCARED-R) questionnaire is a 66-item self-report questionnaire to measure DSM child anxiety symptoms. Participants are asked to endorse how frequently they have experienced each symptom on a 3-point scale: 0 ("almost never"), 1 ("sometimes"), and 2 ("often"). A total score (0-132) and anxiety sub-scores are calculated by adding item scores.
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up
Depressive symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) is a 20-item questionnaire for assessing past-week depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Responses range from 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("a lot"). Total scores can range from 0-60.
Baseline, one-week follow-up, one-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Massachusetts Department of Health

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 4, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 11, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 11, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2020P000727
  • INTF2300H78500224179 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Massachusetts Department of Public Health)
  • INTF2400H78500224455 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Massachusetts Department of Public Health)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data that underlie reported results (after de-identification [text, tables, figures, and appendices]), and the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, analytic code, and informed consent form will be made available to researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication to achieve aims in the approved proposal. Proposals should be directed to rschuster@harvard.mgh.edu. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 3 months and ending 5 years following article publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal to achieve aims in the approved proposal. Data access agreement required.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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