Project RAP: Reaching Adolescents for Prevention

RAP: Reaching Adolescents for Prevention - A Randomized Trial of a Brief Negotiated Interview and Active Referral to Reduce Alcohol Related Morbidity Among Youth and Young Adults in the Pediatric Emergency Department

The purpose of the study is to determine if a brief motivational interview in the context of an emergency health care visit will reduce high-risk drinking and drug-taking and associated health consequences among adolescents ages 14-21 years old.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Alcohol Dependence; Alcohol Related Morbidity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Brief Motivational Intervention; Behavioral: Assessment and list of resources; Behavioral: Referral to Community Resources

Detailed Description

Many studies have shown that a brief motivational interview in the context of a routine or emergency health care visit may assist adults to reduce high-risk drinking and drug-taking. Center researchers are conducting a 1,400-person, randomized clinical trial involving teen patients at the Boston Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department in order to determine if a similar approach will be effective with youth. All patients aged 14 to 21 get a brief alcohol and drug screen, and those whose scores indicate they drink or use marijuana are invited to participate in the study. One-third of the enrollees will receive an assessment, a brief motivational interview performed by a trained peer counselor, direct referrals to community-based resources for adolescents, and a 10-day follow-up phone call. One-third will receive only the assessment and a list of community resources; and the final third will receive only the list of resources. All participants will be followed over time and re-screened to measure the impact of the initial brief intervention on their drinking and drug-taking. The key hypothesis is that individuals who receive the brief motivational interview in the emergency department setting will have lower rates of alcohol and illicit drug use and fewer health consequences over time.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 1400
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
      • Recruiting
      • Boston Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department
      • Contact: Barbara Cole; Phone Number: 617-638-4600; Email: barbcole@bu.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Edward Bernstein, MD
      • Principal Investigator: Judith Bernstein, RNC, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: David Dorfman, MD
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
      • Recruiting
      • Boston University School of Public Health - Youth Alcohol Prevention Center
      • Contact: Barbara Cole; Phone Number: 617-638-4600; Email: barbcole@bu.edu
      • Sub-Investigator: David Rosenbloom, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 21 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pediatric emergency department patients
• Aged 14-21
• An Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score above selected cut-point for age or with history of alcohol-related consequences

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not resident in area or able to provide contact information for 12 month follow-up
• Medically unstable
• Not oriented to person, time and place

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 1; Patients will receive an assessment, a brief motivational interview performed by a trained peer counselor, direct referrals to community-based resources for adolescents, and a 10-day follow-up phone call.	Behavioral: Brief Motivational Intervention; One-third of the enrollees will receive an assessment, a brief motivational interview performed by a trained peer counselor, direct referrals to community-based resources for adolescents, and a 10-day follow-up phone call. All participants will be followed over time and re-screened to measure the impact of the initial brief intervention on their drinking and drug-taking. The key hypothesis is that individuals who receive the brief motivational interview in the emergency department setting will have lower rates of alcohol and illicit drug use and fewer health consequences over time.
Active Comparator: 2; Patients will receive an assessment and a list of community resources	Behavioral: Assessment and list of resources; One-third will receive only the assessment and a list of community resources. All participants will be followed over time and re-screened to measure the impact of the initial brief intervention on their drinking and drug-taking. The key hypothesis is that individuals who receive the brief motivational interview in the emergency department setting will have lower rates of alcohol and illicit drug use and fewer health consequences over time.
Active Comparator: 3; Patients will receive only the list of resources.	Behavioral: Referral to Community Resources; All patients aged 14 to 21 get a brief alcohol and drug screen, and those whose scores indicate they drink or use marijuana are invited to participate in the study. One-third of the enrollees will receive only a list of resources. All participants will be followed over time and re-screened to measure the impact of the initial brief intervention on their drinking and drug-taking. The key hypothesis is that individuals who receive the brief motivational interview in the emergency department setting will have lower rates of alcohol and illicit drug use and fewer health consequences over time.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Reduction in drinking	12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Reduction in alcohol associated health consequences	12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Edward Bernstein, MD, Boston University School of Public Health - Youth Alcohol Prevention Center; Principal Investigator: Judith Bernstein, RNC, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health - Youth Alcohol Prevention Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Reaching Adolescents for Prevention (RAP), Boston University School of Public Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2004
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 12, 2005
• First Posted (Estimate): September 16, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 13, 2009
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2009
• Last Verified: February 1, 2009

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Alcohol dependence; High risk drinking; Alcohol related injury
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Alcoholism
• Other Study ID Numbers: NIAAABER13759; NIH 5P60 AA13759