Improving Brief Marijuana Interventions With a Behavioral Economic Supplement
- Conditions
- Marijuana Use
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI)Behavioral: Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS)Behavioral: Relaxation Session
- Registration Number
- NCT02837315
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Memphis
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS) as a supplement to a brief motivation intervention (BMI) in reducing marijuana use and drug-related consequences in college student
- Detailed Description
Approximately 20% of college students are regular marijuana users, and are at risk for cognitive and academic problems, addiction, and risk behaviors such as driving while impaired. Young adult marijuana users are thus a high-risk population and may require an intervention that motivates marijuana reductions by increasing engagement in constructive alternatives to marijuana use. Brief Motivational Interventions (BMIS) have demonstrated efficacy for alcohol use in college students, but lack consistent evidence of efficacy for marijuana use. This research team has developed a supplement to alcohol BMIs, the Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS), which directly targets the behavioral economic mechanisms of both substance-free reinforcement and delayed reward discounting by encouraging the development of and commitment to academic and career goals, and by highlighting the impact of day-to-day patterns of alcohol use and academic engagement on these goals. A controlled pilot trial found that the SFAS improved BMI outcomes in a sample of heavy drinking college students, and the ongoing parent trial to this revision is replicating and extending those results. This study will evaluate the SFAS using a randomized 3-group (BMI + SFAS vs. BMI + Relaxation Attention Control, vs. Assessment Only) pilot trial with 120 undergraduates (50% female, 40% minority) who report using marijuana on \> 5 days in the past-month. It is hypothesized that at the 1-month and the next-semester follow-ups (follow-ups are wedded to the academic calendar to allow for representative measurement of marijuana use and activity patterns) BMI+SFAS participants will report significantly lower levels of marijuana use and problems, and that these reductions will exceed those of BMI + Relaxation and Assessment-Only participants. Exploratory analyses will test the hypotheses that (a) the BMI + SFAS will be more effective for participants who report higher baseline marijuana reinforcing efficacy and delayed reward discounting; and (b) the advantage of BMI + SFAS on marijuana use will be mediated by increased participation in substance-free activities. Support for our hypotheses would extend behavioral economic theory and would provide initial validation for an approach that could be used to reduce marijuana misuse among the increasing population of college students who misuse marijuana. Furthermore, given the focus of the SFAS is to increase academic/campus engagement, this work has the potential for widespread dissemination.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 133
- freshman or sophomore at the university of Memphis
- 5 or more past-month days of marijuana use
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description BMI + Relaxation Session Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce marijuana use. A week later, they will receive a relaxation training session. In the relaxation training session, the clinician leads the student through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, followed by a progressive muscle relaxation protocol (\~30 minutes). At the end of the session, students were asked about their reaction to the relaxation techniques and were provided with relaxation training handouts. BMI + SFAS Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce marijuana use. A week later, they will receive the SFAS (Substance-free Activity Session., a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the student's academic and career goals, draw attention to the potentially negative relationship between substance use and goal accomplishment, and increase engagement in substance-free alternative activities. The SFAS was described to participants as the "College Adjustment Session" and the session was conducted using an MI plus personalized feedback approach. BMI + SFAS Substance-Free Activity Session (SFAS) Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce marijuana use. A week later, they will receive the SFAS (Substance-free Activity Session., a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the student's academic and career goals, draw attention to the potentially negative relationship between substance use and goal accomplishment, and increase engagement in substance-free alternative activities. The SFAS was described to participants as the "College Adjustment Session" and the session was conducted using an MI plus personalized feedback approach. BMI + Relaxation Session Relaxation Session Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce marijuana use. A week later, they will receive a relaxation training session. In the relaxation training session, the clinician leads the student through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, followed by a progressive muscle relaxation protocol (\~30 minutes). At the end of the session, students were asked about their reaction to the relaxation techniques and were provided with relaxation training handouts.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in Marijuana use Baseline, 1-month, 6-months Electronic timeline follow-back to measure marijuana use days
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Memphis
🇺🇸Memphis, Tennessee, United States