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Measuring Beliefs and Norms About Persons With Alcohol Use Disorder

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Interventions
Other: Survey questionnaire
Registration Number
NCT04832321
Lead Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital
Brief Summary

Survey experiment to estimate drivers of stigma toward people with alcohol use disorder

Detailed Description

Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, substance use disorder remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying alcohol use disorder as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder vs. treated alcohol use disorder with complete response vs. treated alcohol use disorder with relapse, with and without adverse economic impacts. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated alcohol use disorder with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder, followed by treated alcohol use disorder with relapse and untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder, and that adverse economic impacts will exacerbate negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1363
Inclusion Criteria
  • All adults who consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence and who are capable of providing consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Minors younger than 18 years of age, with the exception of emancipated minors
  • Persons who do not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence, e.g., persons who happen to be visiting Nyakabare at the time of the survey or who own a home in Nyakabare but spend most of their time outside the parish
  • Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or other cognitive impairment (all of which are determined informally in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Experimental: V3: Alcohol Use Disorder + Treatment with ResponseSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder who is successfully treated with complete response.
Experimental: V2: Alcohol Use DisorderSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder.
Experimental: V6: Alcohol Use Disorder + Economic Impact + Treatment with ResponseSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder whose untreated alcohol use disorder negatively affects his family's finances, who is then successfully treated with complete response.
Experimental: V4: Alcohol Use Disorder + Treatment with RelapseSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder who is successfully treated with partial relapse.
Experimental: V7: Alcohol Use Disorder + Economic Impact + Treatment with RelapseSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder whose untreated alcohol use disorder negatively affects his family's finances, who is then successfully treated with partial relapse and continued negative economic impact.
Experimental: V5: Alcohol Use Disorder + Economic ImpactSurvey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. This version of the survey questionnaire depicts a young man with symptomatic, untreated alcohol use disorder whose untreated alcohol use disorder negatively affects his family's finances.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Negative Attitudes (Attribution)Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

Perceived Norms about Social DistanceBaseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people would be willing to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into their families (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Shame)Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Attribution)Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)

Social DistanceBaseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Willingness to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into the study participant's family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

Negative Attitudes (Shame)Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)

Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

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Mbarara, Uganda

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