Culturally Tailored Cannabis Use Disorder App

Mobile App to Address CUD Among Black Adults

The present study aims to address disparities in cannabis use outcomes among African American/Black (hereby referred to as Black) adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD). The specific aims of this study are: (1) to develop a culturally adapted, mobile app for Black cannabis users (CT-MICART) using knowledge from the current research team, published literature, expert opinion, and feedback from the Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB), (2) to pilot test CT-MICART and (3) focus on analysis of data collected as part of Aim 2.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cannabis Use
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: CT-MICART App; Behavioral: Control

Detailed Description

The present study aims to address disparities in cannabis use outcomes among African American/Black (hereby referred to as Black) adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD). African American/Black adults are more likely to endorse cannabis use patterns that are more severe (weekly and blunt use) and meet diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD) than White adults (16.8% vs 10.0%). This finding is alarming as cannabis use disorder is associated with more severe psychosocial risk profiles, including poly-substance use, psychiatric problems, and legal trouble relative to non-CUD use and non-use. Additionally, although Black cannabis users are more likely to report being ready to quit and a recent quit attempt relative to White cannabis users, this population is less likely to seek in-person treatment relative to White cannabis users because of individual (e.g., beliefs about use), community (e.g., neighborhood attitudes about use), and institutional (e.g., healthcare access) factors as well as due to institutionalized racism and discrimination (e.g., more likely to not be listened to by practitioners). Targeted, accessible, and culturally adapted therapeutic programming is needed to reduce risk and improve disparities for poor cannabis-related outcomes among Black adults with cannabis use disorder. These findings are significant because they contribute to heath, social, and psychological health disparities within the Black community. Psycho-sociocultural models of substance use posit that Black individuals may use cannabis and continue using despite cannabis-related problems including cannabis use disorder, to manage psychological distress associated with stressors associated with minority status, such as racial discrimination. Therefore, the present study seeks to develop a culturally adapted, mobile app tailored specifically for Black cannabis users (CT-MICART). Using the expert opinion and feedback from the community Research Advisory Board (CRAB), the investigative team will pilot test CT-MICART and focus on analysis of data collected to help achieve a better culturally tailored app.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77004
      • University of Houston

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• at least 18 years of age
• identify as Black/African American
• CUD per CUPIT-R
• willing and able to complete study appointments
• motivated to reduce cannabis (≥5 on a 10-point scale)
• score ≥ 4 on the REALM-SF indicating ≥ 6th grade English literacy level (needed to use app)
• report cannabis use to manage anxiety/stress in the past month

Exclusion Criteria:

• legal mandate or substance misuse treatment
• report of current or intended participation in a concurrent substance use treatment, including pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy for CUD not provided by researchers
• ongoing psychotherapy of any duration directed specifically toward the treatment of anxiety or depression
• not being fluent in English
• pregnant of planning to become pregnant within the next six months (assessed via self-report)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CT-MICART App; Participants in this arm will receive daily EMAs for 6 weeks.	Behavioral: CT-MICART App; App designed with the goal of treating CUD in African American adults; Behavioral: Control; App designed with the goal of treating CUD in African American adults, with participants just tracking their use of cannabis and not receiving treatment videos; Other Names: Sham

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Safety Aid Scale	The Safety Aid Scale will be used to assess change of false safety behavior use over time, being scored on a 5 point scale where higher scores indicate greater use of false safety behaviors.	Baseline appointment and 6-week follow up appointment
Qualitative Interview	The qualitative interview done by the participants will ask them about their experience with the app, what aspects helped, what aspects didn't help, and will allow researchers to adapt and refine the CT-MICART app.	6-week follow up appointment
Engagement with the CT-MICART app	Behavioral indicators of engagement with the app (>75% of all videos watched and >75% of scheduled skills practiced).	Week 1-6

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Houston
• Collaborators: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); University of Oklahoma; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 14, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 17, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 24, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 29, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): October 4, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 7, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Marijuana Abuse
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00003690; U54MD015946 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No