Substance Use Clinical Trials

This is a single-arm, observational study of HIV-negative MSM with substance use disorder. Those who meet pre-screening criteria will attend a Screening Visit (Visit 1), where the informed consent process will be conducted and study eligibility will be confirmed. Eligible participants will attend three additional visits over the course of the study - the Enrollment Visit (Visit 2), Month 1 Visit (Visit 3), and Month 2 Visit (Visit 4). Participants will take one PrEP digital pill per day, for 60 days total, while using the digital pill system (DPS) and Beiwe, a digital phenotyping app. On nonadherent days, participants will receive brief surveys prompting them to report the reasons for their missed dose, as well as their engagement in substance use and sexual activity. Timeline followback will be conducted at the Month 1 and Month 2 Visits to understand the context of any nonadherence. Qualitative user experience exit interviews and dried blood spots (DBS) will be conducted at the Month 2 Visit. Read Less

People living with HIV (PLWH) who use drugs experience significant health disparities including lower rates of retention in HIV care and higher rates of unsuppressed viral load, resulting in secondary infections and increased mortality. The proposed study will used mixed methods to explore (a) the relationship between healthcare providers' attitudes towards working with PLWH who use drugs and providers' acceptance and practice of structural and relational harm reduction; (b) the degree to which relational harm reduction moderates the effect of intersectional stigma experienced in healthcare settings on patients' perceptions of their relationship with providers; (c) the degree to which structural HR moderates the relationship between the patient-provider relationship and clinical outcomes, and (d) whether patient-perceived HR approaches to care are directly associated with HIV clinical outcomes. The study will also use these findings to inform the development and pre-testing of an intervention to operationalize harm reduction in HIV clinical settings, using stakeholder-engaged and human-centered design approaches, presenting a novel path to reducing HIV health inequities for PLWH who use drugs. Read Less

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the effect of a technology-based intervention with an Adaptive Treatment Strategy (ATS) among youth living with HIV (YLWH) (18-29 years old). This piloted and protocolized intervention combines: (1) brief weekly sessions with a counselor via a video-chat platform (video-counseling) to discuss mental health (MH), substance use (SU), HIV care engagement, and other barriers to care; and (2) a mobile health application (app) to address barriers such as ART forgetfulness and social isolation. Individuals who are not virologically suppressed will be randomized to video-counseling+app or standard of care (SOC). Through this study, the investigators will be able to: Aim 1: Test the efficacy of video-counseling+app vs SOC on virologic suppression in YLWH.The investigators will compare HIV virologic suppression of those randomized to the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 2: Assess the impact of video-counseling+app vs SOC on MH and SU in YLWH. The investigators will evaluate the MH and SU differences between the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 3: Explore an ATS to individualize the intervention by assigning the: 1. virologic "non-responders" in the intervention arm to intensified video-counseling+app for 16 more weeks, 2. virologic "responders" in the intervention arm to continue only app use for 16 more weeks. Researchers will compare the characteristics of virologic responders and non-responders to the intervention, individualization of the intervention based on these variables, and linkage to MH and SU treatment services among those in need to see if delivery of care is enhanced and impact on virologic suppression. Read Less

Adolescents in residential substance use treatment have serious substance-related problems and poor outcomes following discharge: follow-up studies indicate that 60% of adolescents treated in residential treatment will relapse within the first 90 days. Parenting practices have been established as a critical predictor of adolescents' substance use outcomes and likelihood of relapse following treatments, but parents are notoriously difficult to engage in adolescent substance use treatment. Findings such as these provide strong justification for targeting parents of adolescents in residential substance use treatment via easily accessible interventions. This study tests the effectiveness of a technology-assisted parenting intervention called Parent SMART (Substance Misuse among Adolescents in Residential Treatment). The intervention combines an off-the-shelf computer program that teaches parenting skills called Parenting Wisely, four telehealth coaching sessions, and a networking forum that allows parents to connect with a clinical expert and with other parents. The investigators will compare adolescents who receive standard residential substance use treatment to adolescents who receive the same treatment plus whose parents receive Parent SMART. Investigators will test the comparative effectiveness of Parent SMART versus residential treatment as usual on parental monitoring and communication, adolescent substance use (i.e., days of substance use and substance-related problems), and substance-related high-risk behaviors (i.e., school-related problems, criminal involvement, externalizing behavior). The investigators will also test whether improvements in parenting partially mediate any observed changes in adolescent substance use and other high-risk behaviors. Read Less

The goal of this observational study is to learn more about changes in health, wellness, and substance-use behaviors as teenagers get older. Participants, ages 13 to 16, will be asked to use a smartphone application developed for this research study. Participants will also come to Brown University or meet via video conference to answer questions about specific behaviors, choices, and feelings that may change over time. Read Less

This pilot research study will provide timely access to behavioral health services through the provision of a single-session narrative therapy intervention. The goal of this 6-month study is to test the acceptability, feasibility, and fit of the intervention in an integrated primary care clinic serving people living with HIV. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to develop transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), specifically TMS at a frequency known as theta burst stimulation (TBS), to see how it affects the brain and changes the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures. TMS and TBS are stimulation techniques that use magnetic pulses to temporarily excite specific brain areas in awake people (without the need for surgery, anesthetic, or other invasive procedures). TBS, which is a form of TMS, will be applied over the medial prefrontal cortex, (MPFC), which has been shown to be involved with drinking patterns and alcohol consumption. This study will test whether TBS can be used as an alternative tool to reduce the desire to use alcohol and reducing the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures. Read Less

Phase 1 will consist of a small pilot Open Trial (OT). The objective of Phase 1 is to develop an organization-level Youth Engagement (YE) prevention strategy and implement it in a community-based organization to test feasibility and acceptability in an open trial with one organization. This will include developing a manual for systematically incorporating YE into prevention efforts in community settings. Phase 2 will consist of a small pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Four prevention organizations will be randomized either to include Youth Engagement in prevention efforts (treatment) or not (control). The study team will attempt to match the treatment and control groups on relevant characteristics such as geographic location (e.g., urban, rural), population served (e.g., church-based, school-based), and/or prior Youth Engagement involvement. The objective of the second phase of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of YE as a prevention strategy for opioid misuse in a small pilot randomized control trial (RCT). This pilot study will examine the effects of the YE prevention strategy on (a) organization-level outcomes, such as perceived value added to prevention programming and (b) individual-level outcomes such as personal skills and attitudes as well as knowledge and attitudes about substances including opioids. Up to 15 leaders/staff and 45 youth/young adults (60 people overall) will be recruited for the study. Read Less

This research study will test the effectiveness of a culturally grounded parenting intervention called Parenting in 2 Worlds (P2W). This intervention is designed for American Indian / Alaska Native (AI) parents/guardians of adolescents who reside in urban areas. This will be a multi-regional effectiveness trial across four regions: Northeast (Buffalo/Niagara), Midwest (St. Paul/Minneapolis), Mountain (Denver), and Southwest (Phoenix). There are four specific aims. First, this study will test the effectiveness of Parenting in Two Worlds (P2W) as compared to an informational family health intervention, Healthy Families in 2 Worlds (HF2W), in improving parenting and family functioning. Second, this study will test if the relative effectiveness of P2W, compared to HF2W, varies by parent's/guardian's level of socioeconomic vulnerability, experiences of historical loss, or AI cultural identity. Third, this study will examine if P2W can reduce adolescent (ages 12 - 17) risky health behaviors including substance use, depressive symptoms, suicidality, and risky sexual behaviors. Fourth, this study will examine whether positive changes in parenting and family functioning that result from P2W lead to positive changes in adolescent's health behaviors. Read Less

The investigator aims to conduct an open pilot study (N=12; 10 completers) to test the feasibility, acceptability, and credibility of an asynchronous web-based mind-body intervention (Toolkit for Resilient Life beyond Pain and Substance Use; Web-TIRELESS) for adult patients with a comorbidity of non-traumatic painful upper-extremity condition(s) (NPUC) and risky substance use. Deliverables: 1) Adapt and refine open pilot protocol, patient recruitment, and other study materials. 2) Assess the feasibility, acceptability, and credibility of Web- TIRELESS in preparation for a future feasibility RCT. Participants will complete 4 on-demand video sessions at their own pace (approximate pace of 1 session per week) and complete baseline and post-test assessments. participants may also partake in an exit interview to provide feedback on Web-TIRELESS to further refine the program and study protocol for future iterations. Read Less

This randomized Type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial (N=186) will evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a peer-delivered problem solving and behavioral activation intervention for adherence to LAI-PrEP/ART ("Peer Activate-LAI") compared to enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU) for a largely Black, substance-using population living with or at high risk for HIV. Specific aims are to: Aim 1: Evaluate the effectiveness of Peer Activate-LAI over 12-months on: a) LAI-PrEP/ART adherence (primary; receipt of all 6 maintenance injections within 7-day window); and b) substance use (secondary; WHOASSIST, urine toxicology); and c) Explore the moderating role of SRD-related factors (exploratory) Aim 2: To evaluate the implementation of Peer Activate-LAI including feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and adoption guided by RE-AIM and Proctor's model,12,13 assessed using mixed methods, including a rapid ethnographic assessment of how SRD-related factors may affect implementation. Aim 3: To evaluate the economic viability of Peer Activate-LAI, including a) cost of implementation and sustainment, and b) cost-effectiveness from multiple stakeholder perspectives. This study will inform a potentially scalable, cost-effective model for facilitating effective adherence to LAI formulations of PrEP/ART within Black, substance-using populations with multiple minority identities who to date have had limited support for improving LAI adherence for HIV treatment and prevention. Read Less

The study will test a computerized treatment with subjects ages 13-17 years who are seeking treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis use. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at one- and three-months following treatment. Read Less