Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Peter Tossmann
ORCID ID
Contact details
Behaimstr. 20
Berlin
10585
Germany
tossmann@delphi-gesellschaft.de
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Evaluation of an internet-based one-time counselling intervention for young cannabis- or alcohol-users: an online randomised controlled trial
Acronym
Study hypothesis
A one-time professional chat-based intervention for problematic cannabis- and alcohol-users is more effective than a chat-based interaction solely dealing with general addiction issues.
Ethics approval
Ethics committee of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg approved on the 9th September 2010 (ref: AZ-4973-14)
Study design
Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
Can be found at http://www.drugcom.de/chatstudieninfo.pdf
Condition
Alcohol abuse or addicition, cannabis abuse or addicition
Intervention
Participants in the experimental condition receive a one-time brief intervention delivered via internet-chat. During the intervention, Motivational Interviewing (MI) is applied by trained psychologists.
Participants in the control condition receive information about addiction in general and about the results in the self-test.
Each arm involves a one-time chat-based intervention with a duration of approximately 30 minutes, with follow-up online surveys at one month and three months.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Alcohol users:
1. Mean weekly alcohol consumption: consumed amount of pure alcohol in the past 7 days
2. Mean number of consumption days in the past 30 days
3. Proportion of subjects not drinking hazardously: i.e., not drinking more than 24 grams of pure alcohol (men) or 12 grams (women) on any day during the last week
Cannabis users:
4. Mean number of consumption days in the past 30 days
Both alcohol and cannabis users:
5. Allocation on the Stages of Change (Transtheoretical Model) measured by the "Readiness to Change Questionnaire" (RTCQ)
Measured using follow-up online surveys at one month and three months.
Secondary outcome measures
Satisfaction with the received intervention, measured using follow-up online surveys at one month and three months.
Overall trial start date
30/09/2010
Overall trial end date
31/03/2011
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
The study aims at participants of two automated internet-based self-tests for cannabis- or alcohol-users installed on the prevention website www.drugcom.de. In order to be eligible for the study, those users have to meet the following criteria:
1. Problematic alcohol use defined as:
1.1. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score of 16 or more, or
1.2. Alcohol consumption of more than 60 g per day (men)/40 g per day (women), or
1.3. Binge drinking (i.e. at least 5 units of alcohol per occasion) at least once per week
2. Problematic cannabis use defined as 4 or more points in the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) (men) or 2 points or more (women)
3. Aged 18 - 35 years, either sex
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
194
Participant exclusion criteria
Participants who currently receive professional help or participate at a self help group.
Recruitment start date
30/09/2010
Recruitment end date
31/03/2011
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Germany
Trial participating centre
Behaimstr. 20
Berlin
10585
Germany
Sponsor information
Organisation
Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) (Germany)
Sponsor details
Ostmerheimer Str. 200
Cologne
51109
Germany
Sponsor type
Government
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) (Germany)
Alternative name(s)
Federal Centre for Health Education, BZgA
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
National government
Location
Germany
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
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list