Evaluation of a Motion-Activated Refusal-Skills Training Video Game for Prevention of Substance Use Disorder Relapse

George Washington University (GW)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Marijuana Usage; Relapse; Opioid Use

Treatments: Behavioral: RecoveryWarrior 2.0

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03957798

MREZ-001

Details and patient eligibility

About

The project proposes to continue the development of an intervention for relapse prevention in the form of a professional quality video game which rewards drug-rejecting physical motions and spoken refusal phrases. Phase I research findings showed that youth in recovery experienced increased low craving levels, strong levels of satisfaction, and interest in attending treatment sessions where the intervention is available - an important outcome since failure to attend treatment is highly correlated with relapse. In Phase II, the investigators propose to modify and expand the prototype based on customer feedback from treatment centers, counselors and patients. The investigators will test the effectiveness of the motion and voice-controlled game in a randomized controlled trial of youths in treatment for opioid use disorder who have access to the game for a month. The investigators will measure the effect of gameplay on successful completion of detoxification/inpatient treatment and rates of linkage to next level of outpatient treatment. The investigators will also measure the effect of gameplay compared to treatment as usual (TAU) during a subsequent episode of outpatient treatment (following inpatient), on rates of treatment attendance, treatment retention, urine drug test results, substance use self-report, treatment alliance, drug craving, and treatment satisfaction.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 15 to 25 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• attending the MMTC inpatient program for primarily opioid or marijuana use disorder treatment
• ability to speak English

Exclusion criteria

• presence of a comorbid psychiatric condition that would make participation unsafe (eg, acute suicidality or unstable psychosis)
• pregnancy (because of the physical exertion required to play the game)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Control (Treatment as Usual)

No Intervention group

Description:

TAU consists of inpatient substance abuse treatment, followed by referral to outpatient treatment. For those who live within the outpatient geographic catchment area of the treatment center, patients are subsequently admitted to outpatient levels of care at treatment center. For the non-opioid population (primarily marijuana), this consists of the intensive outpatient program counseling sessions starting at a frequency of 3x/wk, tapering to 1x/wk with clinical progress with 12 wks target length of service. For the opioid population, this consists of a specialty youth opioid program with group and individual counseling, relapse prevention medications treatment, psychiatric assessment and treatment, also starting at a frequency of 3x/wk, tapering to 1x/wk with clinical progress, with indefinite target length of service. For those not within the outpatient geographic catchment area, patients are referred to local continuing care and outpatient levels of care convenient to their homes.

Intervention (Treatment as usual + game)

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: RecoveryWarrior 2.0