Tailored Teen Alcohol and Violence Prevention in the Emergency Room (ER)

University of Michigan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Abuse; Violence

Treatments: Behavioral: Adapted Motivational Interviewing & Skills Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00251212

AA-014889-01A1

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is designed to address both alcohol misuse and violence among adolescents ages 14-18 seeking care in an urban emergency department (ED). The study is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of a combined Adapted Motivational Interviewing and Skills Training intervention, delivered either by a computer or by a counselor, and an informational handout control condition.

Full description

This study will screen ~3000 adolescents in the ED (ages 14-18) over 30 months. Eligible adolescents will be asked to participate in the longitudinal study, stratified by age and gender and randomized to conditions (n=225/group): Computer Prevention Program, Counselor Prevention Program, or an informational handout control condition. Primary outcomes will be evaluated at 3, 6 and 12-months and include alcohol use/misuse, violent behaviors, illicit drug use, unintentional injury, delinquency, and weapon carriage. The proposed study integrates brief intervention strategies for alcohol misuse and violent behaviors using state-of-the-art technology to tailor the interventions to the specific risk factors of the adolescent. Tailored computerized programs use available technology to replace the need for clinical staff in the ED setting, where there is limited staff time to effect behavior change. This project will provide the critical first step toward the implementation of an integrated prevention program addressing overlapping risk factors that has the potential to be delivered to the millions of adolescents visiting urban Emergency Departments each year.

Enrollment: 3,694 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 14 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• adolescents (ages 14-18) presenting to the ED for a medical injury or illness (except exclusions as noted below)
• adolescents ability to provide informed assent/consent depending on age
• access to a parent or guardian to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• adolescents who do not understand English
• prisoners
• adolescents classified by medical staff as "Level 1" trauma
• adolescents deemed unable to provide informed consent
• adolescents treated in the ED for suicide attempts
• adolescents triaged to the psychiatric ED

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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3,694 participants in 3 patient groups

1

Active Comparator group

Description:

Therapist delivered adapted motivational enhancement therapy and skills training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adapted Motivational Interviewing & Skills Training

2

Active Comparator group

Description:

Computer delivered adapted motivational enhancement therapy and skills training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adapted Motivational Interviewing & Skills Training

3

No Intervention group

Description:

3: Control brochure