Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Prof Pascoe Pleasence
ORCID ID
Contact details
Legal Services Research Centre
85 Grays Inn Road
London
WC1X 8TX
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 207 759 1190
pascoe.pleasence@legalservices.gov.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Acronym
Study hypothesis
The objective of this study is to determine whether the offer of advice to those experiencing debt problems has a positive impact on their financial and general circumstances, whether it is cost-effective (from the individuals perspective) and whether the benefits of advice warrant the expenditure of public/charitable monies on its provision.
Ethics approval
Granted from a group of independent academic researchers (February 2005)
Formal ethics approval not neccessary for a trial of this type.
Study design
Interventional, randomised, single blind controlled study
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Condition
Anxiety
Intervention
Invitation of debt advice provided over the telephone by National Debtline
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Specified
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
The primary outcome with respect to the efficacy of debt advice will be the proportion of people with no debt problem 12 months after the offer of advice
Secondary outcome measures
1. Proportion of people with debt problems after five months
2. Level of personal debt
3. Amount of monthly debt servicing payments
4. Ease of living on income (index)
5. Outlook (when debt problems will end)
6. Knowledge of personal financial situation
7. Continuity of ownership/possession of the family home
8. Continuity of services (utilities: water, electricity, etc.)
9. Loss of property through debt enforcement processes
10. County court judgments
11. Employment status
12. Relationship stability (relationship status)
13. Relationship stability (suggestion of separation)
14. Anxiety (index six item version of state trait anxiety index constructed by Marteau and Bekker in 1992)
15. Health (using EuroQoL (Eq-5D) instrument
Overall trial start date
05/05/2005
Overall trial end date
05/08/2006
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Respondents to the screening survey who indicate they are currently experiencing a debt problem about which they have not obtained formal advice
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
308
Participant exclusion criteria
All those without debt problems, or those with debt problems who have obtained formal advice
Recruitment start date
05/05/2005
Recruitment end date
05/08/2006
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Legal Services Research Centre
London
WC1X 8TX
United Kingdom
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Department for Constitutional Affairs
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary
1. 2007 results in http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-1461.2007.00102.x/abstract