Effectiveness of a Brief Cognitive and Behavioral Skills Program on Stage Transitions for Chronic Ketamine Abusers

In recent years ketamine abuse becomes prevalent in youth in some Asian countries. Chronic ketamine abuse may lead to uropathology and cognitive impairments. No pharmacological interventions have been identified as effective for treating ketamine abuse or helpful in achieving or maintaining abstinence from ketamine. Cognitive-behavioral treatment is currently an important psychosocial intervention for addictive problems. This study aimed to test whether a brief cognitive-behavioral training program has a positive influence on stage transitions among ketamine abusers.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Substance Use Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral skills training

Detailed Description

409 ketamine abusers were recruited in this study, with 285 ketamine abusers participated in a 6-hour brief cognitive-behavioral intervention and 124 ketamine abusers attended educational lectures on ketamine abuse. A brief cognitive-behavioral intervention was applied to teach ketamine abusers about stimulus control, refusal skills, communication skills, decisional balance, and infectious diseases prevention. Stage of Change and knowledge about ketamine were assessed before and after the intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 409
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ketamine use in 30 days
• more than 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• no brain damage

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive behavior skills training; The first session is intended to establish rapport, build therapeutic cohesion through ice-breaking activities, and educate participants about the drug regulations stated in the Statute for Drug Hazard Prevention and Control. The following four sessions are devoted to interactively practicing refusal skills, communication skills, decision-making skills, and positive conflict resolution skills. The final session is to review what has been learned and reminds participants about the association of drug use with HIV/HCV.	Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral skills training; A brief cognitive behavioral skills training was applied to teach ketamine abusers about stimulus control, refusal skills, communication skills, decisional balance, and infectious diseases prevention.
No Intervention: Education as usual; The EAU group received six hours of informational lectures about ketamine, its effects on the brain, relevant regulations and laws, and the risks and modes of transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Motivation to change	Stage of Change Scale: Have you thought of abstaining from Ketamine? In 30 days? In six months?	15 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge about ketamine	5 items questionnaire about consequences of using ketamine: micturition, perception distortion, depression, behavioral inhibition and memory	3 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Taiwan University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tony Szu-Hsien Lee, Ph.D., Health Promotion and Health Education

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Baker A, Lee NK, Claire M, Lewin TJ, Grant T, Pohlman S, Saunders JB, Kay-Lambkin F, Constable P, Jenner L, Carr VJ. Brief cognitive behavioural interventions for regular amphetamine users: a step in the right direction. Addiction. 2005 Mar;100(3):367-78. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01002.x.

Helpful Links

• This study demonstrated that brief interventions consisting of cognitive behavior therapy increased the likelihood of abstinence from amphetamines among those receiving two or more treatment sessions.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 19, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 19, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): March 19, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): August 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 23, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2018
• Last Verified: August 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Ketamine; Substance Abuse; Cognitive behavioral treatment; Stage of Change
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: Chronic Ketamine Abusers

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No