Personality-targeted Interventions for Adolescent Alcohol Misuse

Phase 2

Completed

• Conditions: Alcohol Abuse; Drug Abuse; Depression; Panic Disorder; Conduct Disorder

• Registration Number: NCT00344474
• Lead Sponsor: King's College London

Brief Summary

Personality targeted cognitive behavioural interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse in adult substance abusers (Conrod et al., 2000) and adolescent drinkers (Conrod et al, in press). As these interventions target personality traits linked to risk for addictive and non-addictive mental disorders, the aim of this study is to examine the extent to which this approach can prevent and/or reduce alcohol and drug misuse as well as have an impact on the onset or severity of emotional and behavioural problems in young people.

Detailed Description

Personality targeted cognitive behavioural interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse in adult substance abusers (Conrod et al., 2000) and adolescent drinkers (Conrod et al, in press). As these interventions target personality traits linked to risk for addictive and non-addictive psychopathology, the aim of this study is to examine the extent to which this approach is effective in preventing and/or reduce alcohol and drug misuse and concurrent psychiatric symptoms in young people.

Method: 875 Participants aged 13-16 years will be screened for personality risk in school-wide self-report assessments. Participants will be randomly assigned to a personality matched cognitive-behavioural intervention or a no-intervention control. The personality matched interventions will target four personality risk factors: negative thinking (NT), anxiety sensitivity (AS), impulsivity (IMP) and sensation seeking (SS). Outcome evaluation will occur 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post intervention. Primary outcomes will be time to onset and severity of alcohol and illicit substance use and misuse. Secondary outcome variables will include depressive symptoms, panic attack rates, reckless and antisocial behaviour. Secondary analyses involving genetic, cognitive and coping skills measures will examine moderators of treatment effects.

Hypotheses: It is expected that personality-targeted interventions will have personality-specific effects on aspects of addictive and non-addictive psychopathology to which each personality risk group is most susceptible.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2003-11
• Status Verified: 2006-02
• Primary Completion: 2006-05
• Study First Submitted: 2006-06-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2006-06-22
• Study First Posted: 2006-06-26
• Study Completion: 2008-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2011-06-24
• Last Update Posted: 2011-06-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 710

Inclusion Criteria

• secondary school student
• scoring one standard deviation above the school mean on one of 4 personality dimensions.
• Able to provide consent from parent/guardian for participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria

• None

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Time to onset and severity of drug use	2 years	time to illicit drug use events, assessed using the Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire
Frequency and Quantity of Drinking	2 years
Problem drinking symptoms	2 years	Assessed using an abbreviated version of the Rutger's Alcohol Problem Index

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Psychiatric symptoms (depression, panic anxiety, antisocial behaviours), coping skills, motives for drinking	2 years	Assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom