Smartphone Addiction Recovery Coach for Young Adults (SARC-YA) Experiment

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Substance Use Disorders
• Interventions: Other: Smartphone assisted relapse prevention; Other: Recovery support as usual

• Registration Number: NCT03301012
• Lead Sponsor: Chestnut Health Systems

Brief Summary

At discharge from outpatient treatment, researchers will recruit 300 young adults and randomly assign them to recovery support as usual control condition or the Smartphone Addiction Recovery Coach for Young Adults (SARC-YA) experimental condition. Participants in the experimental conditions will receive a smartphone, a calling/texting/data plan, and the SARC-YA mobile applications for the first 6 months post treatment discharge. Experimental participants will 1) complete a 2-3 minute recovery-focused ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at 5 random times a day, receive feedback on their current answers, and provided access to behavioral charting of their past answers over time; and 2) receive continuous access to a suite of self-initiated ecological momentary interventions (EMI) to support their recovery via tool box of coping tools, apps related to getting support, and apps related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Data include standardized assessments, urine tests, mobile phone metadata, EMA responses, and EMI utilization. The study's primary aim and hypothesis are:

Aim 1: Test the effects of experimental assignment on the frequency of substance use.

H1 Relative to the control group, participants in the experimental group will have lower scores on the quarterly Substance Frequency Scale (3, 6, 9 months post- discharge).

Detailed Description

At discharge from outpatient treatment, researchers will recruit 300 young adults and randomly assign them to recovery support as usual control condition or the Smartphone Addiction Recovery Coach for Young Adults (SARC-YA) experimental condition. Participants in the experimental conditions will receive a smartphone, a calling/texting/data plan, and the SARC-YA mobile applications for the first 6 months post treatment discharge. Experimental participants will 1) complete a 2-3 minute recovery-focused ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at 5 random times a day, receive feedback on their current answers, and provided access to behavioral charting of their past answers over time; and 2) receive continuous access to a suite of self-initiated ecological momentary interventions (EMI) to support their recovery via tool box of coping tools, apps related to getting support, and apps related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Data include standardized assessments, urine tests, mobile phone metadata, EMA responses, and EMI utilization. The study's aims and their associated hypotheses are:

Aim 1: Test the effects of experimental assignment on the frequency of substance use.

H1 Relative to the control group, participants in the experimental group will have lower scores on the quarterly Substance Frequency Scale (3, 6, 9 months post- discharge). Aim 2: Evaluate the extent to which the experimental effects are moderated by baseline substance use frequency. H2 The Substance Frequency Scale Scores at intake will moderate the effects of experimental on the quarterly subsequent Substance Frequency Scale scores. Aim 3: Test the extent to which the frequency of substance use mediates the effects of experimental assignment on other aspects of recovery including SUD symptoms, HIV risk behavior, quality of life, mental wellness, and days of school. H3a Relative to the control group, participants in the experimental group will have better scores on other aspects of recovery (reverse of number of SUD symptoms, reverse of HIV risk behaviors, quality of life, mental wellness, days of school) in the quarterly interviews. H3b Higher Substance Frequency Scale scores (regardless of assignment) in a given quarter will be associated with worse scores on other aspects of recovery in the next quarter. H3c Substance Frequency Scale scores in a given quarter will mediate the impact of the experimental assignment on other aspects of recovery in the next quarter. Aim 4: Within the experimental condition, determine the degree to which EMA responses (e.g., use, withdrawal, craving, negative and positive affect) and EMI utilization predict the duration of abstinence (to be done within experimental condition.) H4a The duration of abstinence will be negatively related to EMA measures of the recency of use, withdrawal, craving, low self-efficacy to resist relapse, increased negative affect, and decreased positive affect. H4b The duration of abstinence will be positively related to immediate and cumulative EMI utilization.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-09-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-09-29
• Study First Posted: 2017-10-04
• Study Start: 2020-10-30
• Status Verified: 2024-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-10
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-12
• Primary Completion: 2025-02-28
• Study Completion: 2025-04-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 300

Inclusion Criteria

1. discharge from an adolescent outpatient SUD treatment program to the community;
2. substance use during the 90 days prior to treatment;
3. aged 18 to 26 at the time of discharge;

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Exclusion Criteria

4. inability to read and communicate in English;
5. does NOT reside or plan to stay in Chicago during the next 9 months;

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Smartphone Addiction Recovery Coach (SARC) - Assisted Relapse Prevention	Smartphone assisted relapse prevention	Participants in the experimental condition will receive a smartphone, a calling/texting/data plan, and the SARC-YA mobile applications for the first 6 months post treatment discharge. Experimental participants will 1) complete a 2-3 minute recovery-focused ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at 5 random times a day, receive feedback on their current answers, and provided access to behavioral charting of their past answers over time; and 2) receive continuous access to a suite of self-initiated ecological momentary interventions (EMI) to support their recovery via tool box of coping tools, apps related to getting support, and apps related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Recovery Support as Usual Control	Smartphone assisted relapse prevention	Participants in the control and experimental condition will have access to post treatment recovery support services as usual.
Recovery Support as Usual Control	Recovery support as usual	Participants in the control and experimental condition will have access to post treatment recovery support services as usual.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in GAIN's Substance Frequency Scale from baseline to 6 months (effect of providing the intervention)	6 month SFS minus baseline SFS	The GAIN's Substance Frequency Scale (SFS; alpha=.85; test-retest rho=.94) ranges from 0 to 100% and is calculated as the average percent of days in the past 90 that adolescents reported alcohol, cannabis, stimulates, opioids, and other substance use, days of heavy substance use, and days of problems from substance use. Thus it incorporates the frequency of use, range of substances used, amount used, and degree to which use is causing problems.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) from baseline to 6 months	6 month minus baseline	Count of 14 items related to mental wellness (alpha=.94) from the MHC-SF
Duration of abstinence after a given EMA	Measured at 5 random times per day over 6 months in the experimental condition	The duration of abstinence is the time from each completed EMA to the next indication of use - measured in days.
Change in GAIN's Substance Frequency Scale from 6 to 9 months (effect of withdrawing the intervention)	9 months SFS minus 6 month SFS	The GAIN's Substance Frequency Scale (SFS; alpha=.85; test-retest rho=.94) ranges from 0 to 100% and is calculated as the average percent of days in the past 90 that adolescents reported alcohol, cannabis, stimulates, opioids, and other substance use, days of heavy substance use, and days of problems from substance use. Thus it incorporates the frequency of use, range of substances used, amount used, and degree to which use is causing problems.
Change in GAIN Substance Disorder Screener (SDScr) from baseline to 6 months	6 month minus baseline	Count of 5 past 90 day substance use disorder symptoms (alpha=.90) from the GAIN-Q3
Change in European Quality of Life 5 dimensions (EQ5D) from baseline to 6 months	6 month minus baseline	Count of 6 quality of life items (alpha=.83) from the EQ5D
Change in the days of school from baseline to 6 months	6 month minus baseline	The days of being in school during the past quarter (test-retest rho=.88) from the GAIN-Q3
Change in GAIN Risk Behavior Screener (RBScr) from baseline to 6 months	6 month minus baseline	Count of 6 past 90 day of HIV risk behaviors (test-retest rho=.80) including needle use, needle sharing, unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, trading sex, and victimization from the GAIN-Q3

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Chestnut Health Systems; 🇺🇸 Chicago, Illinois, United States