Computerized Stage-Matched Intervention for Juvenile Offenders

Substance Abuse Clinical Trial

Official title:

Computerized Stage-Matched Intervention for Juvenile Offenders

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02023827
• Other study ID #: 5R44DA024900
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• First received: December 18, 2013
• Last updated: September 27, 2016
• Start date: August 2013
• Est. completion date: October 2016

Study information

• Verified date: September 2016
• Source: Pro-Change Behavior Systems
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Data and Safety Monitoring BoardUnited States: Federal GovernmentUnited States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Juvenile crime imposes enormous costs on victims, on society, and on juvenile offenders themselves. However, research assessing the efficacy of interventions for young offenders show, on average, only small effects on recidivism, substance abuse, and other behavioral outcomes. A major problem with existing interventions is that they tend to neglect individual differences in motivation and readiness to make positive changes. In earlier research, we used an empirically validated model of behavior change, the Transtheoretical Model (TTM, the "stage" model), and expert system technology to develop the Rise Above Your Situation program (RAYS), a prototype of a multimedia computerized tailored intervention designed as an adjunct to traditional juvenile justice programs. The intervention delivers assessments and individualized feedback matched to readiness to stay out of trouble with the law and quit alcohol and drugs. At the end each session the program also generates a helpgiver report that summarizes the youth's feedback and presents concrete, easy-to-implement strategies helpgivers can use to reinforce stage-matched concepts. In the current research, the goals are to complete development of the computerized tailored intervention; develop training and other support materials for helpgivers; and assess the efficacy of the intervention package in a randomized clinical trial involving 700 medium- to high-risk court-involved juveniles aged 13-17 recruited by 54 probation officers randomly assigned to treatment or standard care. Primary outcomes will be criminal recidivism and substance abuse abstinence at 6 and 12 months follow-up.

Description:

Fifty-four probation officers employed by the Iowa's Juvenile Court Services agreed to participate in the study and to be randomly assigned to treatment or standard care. A Multiattribute Utility Measurement Approach (Graham, Flay, Johnson, Hansen, & Collins, 1984) was used to ensure that probation officers assigned to the two conditions were approximately equivalent on level of education, years of experience working with juvenile offenders, number of hours of training on the TTM, and confidence using the TTM in their work.

Probation officers were responsible for recruiting moderate- and high-risk youth on probation, and delivering baseline assessment sessions and intervention sessions. However, local project site coordinators were available to provide assistance, as needed.

Computerized follow-up assessments and urine drug testing at 6 and 12 months follow-up are being administered by "trackers" at a time and place that is convenient for the youth. Study protocols include best practices (Scott, 2004) for maximizing retention at follow-up in research involving high-risk populations.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 1000
• Est. completion date: October 2016
• Est. primary completion date: October 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 13 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

Juvenile offenders:

• Score in the moderate- to high-risk range on the short-form Iowa Delinquency Assessment

• Age 13 to 17 at the time of recruitment

• Able to understand and read English

Probation officers:

• Employed by Iowa Juvenile Court Services

• Work with moderate- to high-risk youth

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Delinquency
• Substance Abuse
• Substance-Related Disorders

Intervention

Behavioral:
• RAYS Intervention
The Rise Above Your Situation program (RAYS) is a multimedia computer-tailored intervention that relies on the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) and expert system technology to deliver assessments, feedback, printed reports, and helpgiver reports with intervention ideas. Helpgivers (probation officers in this case) use the reports to guide 1/2 hour follow-up discussions to reinforce intervention ideas and provide support.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 6	Cedar Rapids	Iowa
United States	Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 7	Davenport	Iowa
United States	Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 5	Des Moines	Iowa
United States	Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 3	Sioux City	Iowa
United States	Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 1	Waterloo	Iowa

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Pro-Change Behavior Systems	Iowa Juvenile Court Services

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Levesque DA, Johnson JL, Welch CA, Prochaska JM, Fernandez AC. Computer-Tailored Intervention for Juvenile Offenders. J Soc Work Pract Addict. 2012 Jan 1;12(4):391-411. Epub 2012 Nov 8. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Criminal recidivism based on self-report	Assessed using the General Crime Scale (GCS) of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN)	12 months follow-up	No
Primary	Criminal recidivism based on official records	Data will be provided by the Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP)	12 months follow-up	No
Primary	Substance use abstinence based on self-report	Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline, assessed using the Substance Frequency Scale (SFS) from the GAIN	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Total count of criminal behavior based on self-report	Assessed using the General Crime Scale (GCS) of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN)	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Stage of change for staying out of trouble with the law	Assessed using a self-report Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) stage of change measure developed by the PI	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Emotional distress	Assessed using the 5-item Internalizing Disorder Screener (IDScr) of the GAIN Short Screener	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Substance use frequency	Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline, assessed using the Substance Frequency Scale (SFS) from the GAIN	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Substance-related problems	Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline, assessed using the Substance Problem Scale (SPS) from the GAIN	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Stage of change for quitting alcohol and drugs	Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline, assessed using a self-report Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) stage of change measure developed by the PI	12 months follow-up	No
Secondary	Abstinence confirmed by urine drug testing	Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline	12 months follow-up	No