A Randomized Controlled Trial of Structured Stepped-care Intervention for Psychiatric Comorbidity

September 9, 2013 updated by: Professor Paul Haber, South West Sydney Local Health District

Novel Treatments for Alcohol Dependence: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Structured Stepped-care Intervention for Psychiatric Comorbidity

There is a high rate of psychological comorbidity in people suffering from alcohol dependence. There is a need for an effective integrated treatment for alcohol dependence and comorbid anxiety or depression. This study will test the efficacy of a novel integrated intervention for comorbid alcohol dependence and anxiety or mood disorder.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In summary, the specific aims of this project are:

  1. To assess the effectiveness of a novel stepped care intervention for alcohol dependent patients with co-morbid anxiety and/or depression compared to usual treatment for alcohol dependence in promoting abstinence from alcohol and increased quality of life and in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  2. To describe important factors relating to the maintenance of alcohol-related psychiatric comorbidity.

Step 1: All subjects will complete 12 weeks of pharmacotherapy (n = 120) on naltexone (50 mg, 1 tablet daily), acamprosate (333 mg, 2 tablets 3 times daily, reduced to 4/day for women <65kg), or a combination of the two. After a 3 week stabilization period, subjects will undergo complete formal assessment for anxiety and depression. Those subjects with a diagnosis of anxiety or depressive disorder regardless of drinking outcome will be offered the next step of care and followed up at 12-16 weeks.

Step 2: Subjects to undergo the next step of care (n = 30 per group, 60 in total) will be randomized by referring to the consecutively assigned subject identification number to a matched numbered envelope containing a random assignment card. Randomization will be stratified according to concomitant SSRI use. The treatment groups will be:

  1. Intervention for comorbid anxiety or depression, and
  2. Usual counseling care.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

86

Phase

  • 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

  • Australia
    • New South Wales
      • Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2050
        • Drug Health Services, Royal Prince Alfred 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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Step 1:

  • alcohol dependence according to DSM-IV criteria, with alcohol as the subject's drug of choice,
  • age 18-65,
  • adequate cognition and English language skills to give valid consent and complete research interviews (as assessed by the mini mental state examination),
  • willingness to give written consent,
  • abstinence from alcohol for between 3 and 21 days (standard clinical criteria for use of acamprosate or naltrexone),
  • resolution of any clinically evident alcohol withdrawal (score 0-1 on RPA hospital alcohol withdrawal scale), and a positive score on the initial comorbidity suspicion checklist (CSC).

Exclusion Criteria for Step 1:

  • sensitivity to study medications or therapy with these drugs within 6 months,
  • active major psychiatric disorder associated with significant suicide risk,
  • pregnancy or lactation,
  • advanced liver disease (hepatocellular failure, variceal bleeding, ascites or encephalopathy),
  • other serious medical illness that would interfere with adherence to the study protocol.

Entry criteria to step 2:

  • Completion of 3 weeks on acamprosate and/or natlrexone and/or, resolution of any clinically evident alcohol withdrawal (score 0-1 on RPA hospital alcohol withdrawal scale),
  • case formulation and diagnosis for anxiety or depression (see below).

Exclusion criteria 2:

  • Non-compliance on acamprosate and/or naltrexone,
  • alcohol consumption at baseline levels,
  • resolution of clinically evident anxiety or depression as assessed by the case formulation (see below). These patients will be offered further treatment

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Usual care
Behavioral: Usual care
Counselling for all subjects will continue in accord with standard practice. Currently, programs of brief individualized motivation enhancement therapy (feedback of assessment findings, reinforcement, empathy, client's own motivation) are available.
Experimental: Integrated care

Integrated care:

Intervention for co-morbid alcohol dependence and anxiety or mood disorder. Trained therapists will deliver specific Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based upon interventions that have been supported by randomised controlled trials for alcohol use, anxiety, and depressive disorders.
Behavioral: Integrated care
Intervention for co-morbid alcohol dependence and anxiety or mood disorder. Trained therapists will deliver specific Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based upon interventions that have been supported by randomised controlled trials for alcohol use, anxiety, and depressive disorders.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Alcohol consumption
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Time to relapse (>5 drinks on any one day)
12 weeks
Time to lapse
Time Frame: 12 weeks
time to consumption of any alcohol (lapse) identified by self-reported alcohol consumption
12 weeks
amount of alcohol consumption
Time Frame: 12 weeks
expressed as the average consumption per drinking day
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Improvement in depressive or anxiety symptoms
Time Frame: 12 weeks
DASS 21
12 weeks
Diagnosis severity
Time Frame: 16 weeks
clinician rated severity from ADIS-IV and HDRS on anxiety and depressive diagnoses.
16 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

South West Sydney Local Health District

Collaborators

University of Sydney

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Andrew Baillie, Macquarie University
  • Principal Investigator: Paul Haber, University of Sydney

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.

General Publications

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

March 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 5, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

September 13, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 13, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 9, 2013

Last Verified

September 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • X05-0279

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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