scholarly journals ‘Re-Train Your Brain’: Protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial of a web-based Cognitive Bias Modification intervention for emerging adults with comorbid social anxiety and hazardous alcohol use (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Prior ◽  
Elske Salemink ◽  
Reinout W Wiers ◽  
Bethany A Teachman ◽  
Monique Piggott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Treatment Seeking ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol ◽  
Bias Modification

BACKGROUND Alcohol use and anxiety disorders commonly co-occur, resulting in a more severe clinical presentation and poorer response to single-disorder treatments. Research has shown that Approach Bias Modification (ApBM) and Interpretation Bias Modification (IBM) cognitive re-training interventions can be efficacious adjunctive treatments that improve outcomes for alcohol use and social anxiety symptoms, respectively. However, the acceptability, feasibility and clinical utility of combining ApBM and IBM programs to optimise standard treatments among comorbid samples is unknown. It is also unclear as to whether integrating ApBM and IBM within each training session, or alternating them between each session, is more acceptable and efficacious. OBJECTIVE This paper describes the study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial investigating the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the ‘Re-Train Your Brain’ intervention – an adjunct web-based ApBM+IBM program – among a clinical sample of emerging adults with hazardous alcohol use and social anxiety. METHODS The study involves a 3-arm randomized controlled pilot trial in which treatment-seeking emerging adults (18-30 years) with co-occurring hazardous alcohol use and social anxiety disorder symptoms will be individually randomized to receive: (1) the Re-Train Your Brain ‘integrated’ program, delivered with 10 bi-weekly sessions focusing on both social anxiety and alcohol each week (50:50 ratio), plus treatment as usual (TAU i.e., the model of care provided in accordance with standard practice at their service; n=30); (2) the Re-Train Your Brain ‘alternating’ program, delivered with 10 bi-weekly sessions focusing on social anxiety one week and alcohol the next week in an alternating pattern, plus TAU (n=30); or (3) TAU only (n=30). Primary outcomes include feasibility (uptake, follow-up rates, treatment adherence, attrition, adverse events) and acceptability (system usability, client satisfaction, user experience, training format preference). Secondary efficacy outcomes include changes in alcohol approach and interpretation biases, social anxiety symptoms, and alcohol use (e.g., average drinks per day, binge-drinking, alcohol use motives, severity of alcohol dependence, alcohol craving). The primary endpoint will be post-treatment (6 weeks post-baseline), with a secondary endpoint at 3 months post-baseline. Descriptive statistics will be conducted for primary outcomes, while intention-to-treat multi-level mixed effects analysis for repeated measures will be performed for secondary outcomes. RESULTS The study is funded from 2019―2023 by Australian Rotary Health. Recruitment is expected to be complete by mid―late 2022, with follow-ups completed by early 2023. CONCLUSIONS The study will be the first to evaluate whether an ApBM+IBM program is acceptable to treatment-seeking emerging adults and whether it is feasible to deliver it online, in settings where it will ultimately be used (e.g., at home). The findings will broaden our understanding of the types of programs that emerging adults will engage with, and whether there is preliminary evidence of it being an efficacious treatment option for this comorbidity. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12620001273976

scholarly journals Social Media Interventions for Risky Drinking Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/16688 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e16688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E Bonar ◽  
Diane M Schneeberger ◽  
Carrie Bourque ◽  
Jose A Bauermeister ◽  
Sean D Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorders ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Risky Drinking ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Media Intervention

Background Despite intervention efforts to date, the prevalence of risky drinking among adolescents and emerging adults remains high, increasing the risk for health consequences and the development of alcohol use disorders. Peer influences are particularly salient among this age group, including via social media. Thus, the development of efficacious early interventions for youth, delivered with a broad reach via trained peers on social media, could have an important role in addressing risky drinking and concomitant drug use. Objective This paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of a social media intervention among adolescents and emerging adults who meet the criteria for risky drinking (using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption [AUDIT-C]), delivered with and without financial incentives for participation, compared with an attention placebo control condition (ie, entertaining social media content), on alcohol consumption and consequences. Methods This RCT involved recruiting 955 youths (aged 16-24 years) via advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to self-administer a brief web-based screening survey. Those screening positive for past 3-month risky drinking (AUDIT-C positive: ages 16-17 years: ≥3 females and ≥4 males; and ages 18-24 years: ≥4 females and ≥5 males) were eligible for the RCT. After providing consent (a waiver of parental consent was obtained for minors), participants completed a web-based baseline survey and several verification procedures, including a selfie photo matched to Facebook profile photos. Participants were then randomized to join invitation-only secret Facebook groups, which were not searchable or viewable by parents, friends, or anyone not recruited by the study. The 3 conditions were social media intervention with incentives, social media intervention without incentives (SMI), and attention placebo control. Each condition lasted 8 weeks and consisted of bachelor’s-level and master’s-level therapist electronic coaches posting relevant content and responding to participants’ posts in a manner consistent with Motivational Interviewing. Participants in the control condition and SMI condition did not receive payments but were blind to condition assignment between these 2 conditions. Follow-ups are ongoing and occur at 3, 6, and 12 months poststart of the groups. Results We enrolled 955 participants over 10 waves of recruitment who screened positive for risky drinking into the RCT. Conclusions The findings of this study will provide the critical next step in delivering early alcohol interventions to the youth, capitalizing on social media platforms, which could have significant public health impact by altering alcohol use trajectories of adolescents and emerging adults engaged in risky drinking. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02809586; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02809586. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/16688

scholarly journals Associations of Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Ethnic Density on Hazardous Alcohol Use among Latinx Emerging Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-344
Author(s):  
Ashly C. Westrick ◽  
Mario R. De La Rosa ◽  
Mariana Sanchez ◽  
José Félix Colón-Burgos ◽  
Patria Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Ethnic Density ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol

scholarly journals Protocol for the Inroads Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Internet-Delivered, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Based Early Intervention to Reduce Anxiety and Hazardous Alcohol Use Among Young People (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lexine A Stapinski ◽  
Katrina Prior ◽  
Nicola C Newton ◽  
Mark Deady ◽  
Erin Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Young People ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol ◽  
Therapist Support

BACKGROUND The transition to adulthood is a unique developmental period characterized by numerous personal and social role changes and increased opportunities for alcohol consumption. Using alcohol to cope with anxiety symptoms is commonly reported, and young people with anxiety are at a greater risk of hazardous alcohol use and progression to alcohol use disorder. Anxiety and alcohol use tend to fuel each other in an exacerbating feed-forward cycle, leading to difficult-to-treat chronic problems. The peak in onset of anxiety and alcohol disorders suggests this developmental window represents a promising opportunity for early intervention before these problems become entrenched. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Inroads program, a therapist-supported, internet-delivered early intervention for young adults that targets alcohol use, anxiety symptoms, and the interconnections between these problems. METHODS A randomized controlled trial will be conducted nationally among young Australians (aged 17-24 years) who experience anxiety symptoms and drink alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels. Participants will be individually randomized on a 1:1 basis to receive the Inroads intervention or assessment plus alcohol guidelines. Participants randomized to the Inroads intervention will receive access to 5 Web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) modules and weekly therapist support via email and/or phone. The primary outcome assessment will be 8 weeks post baseline, with follow-up assessment 6 months post baseline to determine the sustainability of the intervention effects. Primary outcomes will be the total number of standard drinks consumed in the past month (assessed by the Timeline Follow-Back procedure), severity of alcohol-related harms (assessed by the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire), and anxiety symptoms across multiple disorders (assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). Secondary outcomes will include alcohol outcome expectancies; functional impairment and quality of life; and symptoms of social anxiety, anxious arousal, and depression. Results will be analyzed by intention-to-treat using multilevel mixed effects analysis for repeated measures. RESULTS The study is funded from 2017 to 2020 by Australian Rotary Health. Recruitment is expected to be complete by late-2018, with the 6-month follow-ups to be completed by mid-2019. Results are expected to be published in 2020. CONCLUSIONS The study will be the first to evaluate the benefits of a youth-focused early intervention that simultaneously targets anxiety and hazardous alcohol use. By explicitly addressing the interconnections between anxiety and alcohol use and enhancing CBT coping skills, the Inroads program has the potential to interrupt the trajectory toward co-occurring anxiety and alcohol use disorders. The Web-based format of the program combined with minimal therapist support means that if effective, the program could be widely disseminated to reach young people who are not currently able or willing to access face-to-face treatment. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617001609347; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372748&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/77Au19jmf) INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR DERR1-10.2196/12370

The motive to drink due to social anxiety and its relation to hazardous alcohol use.

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 806-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Cludius ◽  
Stephan Stevens ◽  
Trisha Bantin ◽  
Alexander L. Gerlach ◽  
Christiane Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol
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