Evaluation of an internet-based one-time counselling intervention for young cannabis- or alcohol-users

ISRCTN	ISRCTN79857771
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN79857771
Protocol serial number	N/A
Sponsor	Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) (Germany)
Funder	Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) (Germany)

Submission date: 29/10/2010
Registration date: 25/11/2010
Last edited: 25/11/2010

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Peter Tossmann
Scientific

Behaimstr. 20
Berlin
10585
Germany

Email	tossmann@delphi-gesellschaft.de

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study type	Participant information sheet
Scientific title	Evaluation of an internet-based one-time counselling intervention for young cannabis- or alcohol-users: an online randomised controlled trial
Study objectives	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(s)	Ethics committee of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg approved on the 9th September 2010 (ref: AZ-4973-14)
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	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
Primary outcome measure(s)	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.
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Satisfaction with the received intervention, measured using follow-up online surveys at one month and three months.
Completion date	31/03/2011

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	194
Key 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
Key exclusion criteria	Participants who currently receive professional help or participate at a self help group.
Date of first enrolment	30/09/2010
Date of final enrolment	31/03/2011

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Germany

Study participating centre

Behaimstr. 20

Berlin
10585
Germany

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Participant information sheet	Participant information sheet	11/11/2025	11/11/2025	No	Yes