Clinical trial NCT04725266: A Family-based Intervention for Drug-abusing Adults in Hong Kong
Official title: A Family-based Intervention for Drug-abusing Adults in Hong Kong: a Quasi-experimental Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Drug Abuse
Keywords: drug abuse
Lead sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited
First posted: 2021-01-26
Enrollment: 82
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 55
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: To develop a family-based intervention with components of engagement, family roles, affection, and competence and verify its effectiveness on drug abstinence and family functioning for drug-abusing adults in Hong Kong; To compare the difference between family-based intervention and routine care which mainly consists of individual counselling services for drug abusers.

Detailed description: This is a quasi-experimental trial examining the effects of a proposed family-based intervention for drug abusers on motivating them to stay drug abstinence and improve family functioning, in which 40 drug abusers with focal families (including spouses and/or children) will be recruited for intervention group receiving both family-based intervention and routine care and 40 drug abusers without involving family will be recruited for comparison group receiving routine care. In the in-take, drug-abusing subjects will be given a brief introduction and invited to provide basic background information about themselves and families. After filling the informed consent, participants will be assigned to intervention group or comparison group according to whether their family will join sessions together. After drug abusers and families fill in the online questionnaire at the baseline (T0), the intervention group will receive family-based intervention and routine care in one month, while the comparison group will receive only routine care in one month. Both groups will be assessed at two time points after intervention period (T1 = 1-month after baseline; T2 = 2-month after baseline). As hypothesized, the intervention group will show a greater reduction in the primary outcomes of drug use and greater increase in the secondary outcomes of family functioning than the comparison group. A repeated-measures analysis of covariance will be conducted to assess the effects of family-based intervention.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria for intervention group:

1. Adults aged 18 to 55
2. Have used drugs in the past 90 days
3. At the time of case recruitment, the subject is engaged in an intimate relationship with a spouse/partner, or having a child/children
4. Understand oral and written Chinese

Exclusion criteria for intervention group:

1. Taking other treatments during intervention
2. The spouse or child of DA are not available to participate in the program

Inclusion criteria for comparison group:

1. Adults aged 18 to 55
2. Have used drugs in the past 90 days
3. Understand oral and written Chinese

Exclusion criteria for comparison group:

1. Taking other treatments during intervention

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes from baseline measurements of drug abstinenceat at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
measure: Changes from baseline measurements of frequency of drug use at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1-, and 2-months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes from baseline measurement of marital affection at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
measure: Changes from baseline measurement of family functioning at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
measure: Changes from baseline measurement of family roles at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
measure: Changes from baseline measurement of parenting competency at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
measure: Changes from baseline measurement of mental health at 1- and 2-months
timeFrame: Baseline, 1- and 2-months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kowloon
country: Hong Kong
facility: Neo-Horizon of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited
Study officials:
affiliation: The University of Hong Kong
name: Yik Wa Law
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: