The Adaptation and Evaluation of the WHO's ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention to Khat-Using Ethiopian University Students (KhatAssist)

University of Konstanz

Status: Completed

Conditions: Khat Abuse

Treatments: Behavioral: ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention; Behavioral: Induction of Deliberative Mindset; Behavioral: Induction of Implemental Mindset

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03730805

KHAT ASSIST 2018

Details and patient eligibility

About

The leaves of the khat tree (catha edulis) are traditionally chewed in the countries around the Horn of Africa. They contain the amphetamine-like alkaloid cathinone and their use can produce a Substance Use Disorder. The researchers intent to validate an Amharic and an Oromo version of the WHO's ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention among khat-using Ethiopian university students. In an RCT, khat using students of Jimma University with initial motivation to stop or cut down khat use will be randomised to either an intervention or a control group. In the intervention group, the WHO's ASSIST-linked BI will be delivered in a single session by trained local counsellors. In the control group, participants will receive a neuropsychological assessment (Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, SPM; Raven, 1972). Khat use, the neuropsychological variables and psychiatric symptoms will be assessed before the intervention and two weeks after it. Additionally, the researchers will measure the participants resistance during the session. The control group will receive the intervention after the post test. In order to study state variables that influence brief intervention effectivity, e.g. by increasing or reducing resistance, the researchers randomise subjects in each study arm to several short pre-interventions that are based on Gollwitzer's empirically well established Mindset Theory of Action Phases (for summary: Gollwitzer & Keller, 2016). This means, before delivering the ASSIST-linked BI (intervention group) or before the SPM assessment (controlgroup) a specific psychological state will be induced by a brief writing task that theoretically should affect the openness to the intervention: (1) implemental mindset, (2) deliberative mindset, (3) no mindset induction. The researchers expect that khat use will be reduced more in the intervention condition compared to the control condition and that induced states influence the effectiveness of the intervention.

Enrollment: 307 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• second year student or higher year student at Jimma University
• khat use in the month prior to baseline
• participant's wish to reduce or stop khat use

Exclusion criteria

• severe substance use, except khat
• inability to read and write Amharic or Oromo languages
• ongoing acute episode of severe mental disorder
• current suicidal ideation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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307 participants in 6 patient groups

Intervention + open mindset

Experimental group

Description:

ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention plus prior induction of deliberative mindset

Treatment:

Behavioral: ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention

Behavioral: Induction of Deliberative Mindset

Intervention + closed mindset

Experimental group

Description:

ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention plus prior induction of closed mindset

Treatment:

Behavioral: ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention

Behavioral: Induction of Implemental Mindset

Intervention alone

Experimental group

Description:

ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention without prior induction of any mindset

Treatment:

Behavioral: ASSIST-linked Brief Intervention

Control + open mindset

Experimental group

Description:

In stead of intervention, a neuropsychological assessment (Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices; SPM; Raven, 1940) with prior induction of an open mindset is conduced.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Induction of Deliberative Mindset

Control + closed mindset

Experimental group

Description:

In stead of intervention, a neuropsychological assessment (Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices; SPM; Raven, 1940) with prior induction of a closed mindset is conduced.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Induction of Implemental Mindset

Control alone

No Intervention group

Description:

In stead of intervention, a neuropsychological assessment (Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices; SPM; Raven, 1940) without prior induction of any mindset is conduced.