Exercise as Alcohol Use Disorders Intervention for Non-Treatment Seeking Adults
Condition: Alcohol-Related Disorders
MeSH terms: Alcoholism; Alcohol-Related Disorders
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1

Summary: 
      Alcohol use disorders are common and few individuals with the disorder ever seek help. This
      study proposes to intervene in a novel way - exercise, as it has many mental and physical
      health benefits and is an activity that is incompatible with simultaneous alcohol use. If
      effective, this non-stigmatizing intervention may increase the utility and acceptability of
      interventions for alcohol use disorders and ultimately increase the number of individuals
      effectively treated.
    

Detailed description: 
      About 26 million Americans (8.5%) meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD; i.e., abuse
      or dependence), and most with an AUD will not ever seek help. A variety of reasons exist for
      not seeking help, with stigma and desire to handle the problem on one's own being primary
      among them. Therefore, offering interventions for AUD that do not stigmatize or require an
      individual to see a mental health professional may increase the utility and acceptability of
      AUD interventions and ultimately increase the number of individuals effectively treated. This
      pilot study evaluates exercise as an AUD intervention. Exercise has been proposed as a
      potential treatment for AUD due to its numerous mental and physical health benefits. Thirty
      sedentary non-treatment seeking AUD individuals to be recruited from the community via
      advertisements. Participants will be given a four month YMCA gym membership and will be
      randomized to one of two conditions: (1) assessment only (AO), or (2) a combination of two
      motivational enhancement therapy (MET) sessions focused on increasing exercise spaced two
      months apart and four months of weekly contingency management (CM) for adhering to specific
      exercise activities. MET is a client-centered, directive method of enhancing intrinsic
      motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence, and CM is a behavioral treatment
      offering individuals tangible reinforcers such as prizes for completion of specific target
      behaviors. Assessments of all participants will take place at baseline, 2-months
      (mid-treatment), and 4-months (post-treatment. Results from this pilot study will guide
      future investigations of exercise as a method for intervening with non-treatment seeking AUD
      individuals.
    

Intervention name(s): Motivational Enhancement Therapy plus Contingency Management
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): A combination of two motivational enhancement therapy (MET) sessions focused on increasing exercise spaced two months apart and four months of weekly contingency management (CM) for adhering to specific exercise activities. MET is a client-centered, directive method of enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence, and CM is a behavioral treatment offering individuals tangible reinforcers such as prizes for completion of specific target behaviors.
Other intervention name(s): MET; CM
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment