A Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Digital Health Solution for Outpatients Seeking Support for Substance Use

Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Substance Use Disorders; Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05094440

016/2021

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a dialectical behavior therapy skills training webapp known as "Pocket Skills" in outpatients and community members seeking treatment for substance use, across those who receive immediate versus delayed access to the intervention (e.g., a waitlist control condition).

Full description

Seventy adult outpatients and community members seeking treatment for substance use from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Addictions Program will be randomized to receive immediate or delayed (1 month) access to a web-based DBT skills training intervention called Pocket Skills in addition to standard care. Participants will complete interviews and questionnaires at baseline. Following baseline, participants complete questionnaires at months 1, 2, and 3 months. Measures will assess alcohol and drug consumption, substance use disorder symptoms, and other clinical features.

Enrollment: 76 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. 18-65 years of age
2. Fluency in English
3. Understanding and willingness to comply with study requirements
4. Referred to Addictions Program at CAMH or seeking treatment from the community and currently waiting for psychosocial services
5. Smartphone, tablet, or computer with access to the Internet
6. Reports at least "contemplation" levels of wanting to reduce substance use
7. Use of target substance in past month
8. Alcohol or substance use disorder in the past year

Exclusion criteria

1. Any known practical factor that would preclude participation (e.g., extended absences)
2. Untreated or unstable severe psychiatric or medical disorder that precludes participation in the study (e.g., acute suicidality, untreated psychosis)
3. Participation in another treatment/intervention study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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76 participants in 2 patient groups

Immediate Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Pocket Skills is a dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) webapp that includes video lessons, an interactive chatbot AI coach, and in-app exercises to practice DBT skills. The delivery of the app intervention will be primarily monitored for one month, but followed for up to 3 months, and will be supplemented with a walk through manual and links to DBT worksheets. The intervention will be delivered in conjunction with treatment as usual which includes standard psychosocial care (e.g., assessments, group, and individual programming) as part of the Addictions Program or greater community.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)

Waitlist and Delayed Treatment

Active Comparator group

Description:

Waitlist control whereby outpatients or members of the community will wait 1 month (4 weeks) to receive the intervention and then receive the Pocket Skills webapp for the subsequent 2 months (8 weeks). The waitlist period and subsequent intervention will be delivered in conjunction with treatment as usual which includes standard psychosocial care (e.g., assessments, group, and individual programming) as part of the Addictions Program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)