Clinical trial NCT00374153: Southern Methodist Alcohol Research Trial (SMART)
Official title: Dismantling Motivational Interviewing and Feedback for College Drinkers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Alcohol Consumption
Keywords: Alcohol
Drinking
College
Motivational
Feedback
Assessment
Lead sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
First posted: 2006-09-08
Enrollment: 363
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to look at the effects of assessment, feedback and motivational interviewing on alcohol consumption among college drinkers.

Detailed description: Excessive alcohol consumption has been a growing problem at many US colleges. In response, colleges and universities have instituted a range of alcohol intervention and prevention programs for students. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one brief intervention that has been shown to reduce heavy drinking among college students. To date, all college studies of MI have used a format that includes an assessment and feedback delivered in an MI style. Although this format has considerable empirical support, it remains unclear which of the components is necessary to produce behavior change. This study will evaluate the separate and collective effects of MI and feedback among "binge" drinking college students. Additionally, this study will evaluate the effects of the initial drinking assessment, through including a delayed-assessment control group. After an initial screen, 350 students at Southern Methodist University who report at least one heavy (i.e., "binge") episode during the previous two weeks will be randomized to: (1) MI with feedback, (2) MI without feedback, (3) Mailed feedback only, (4) Assessment only, or (5) Delayed assessment only. MI sessions will be delivered by trained and supervised counselors. Participants will be assessed via a secure Internet site at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months (12 months only for the Delayed-assessment group), with primary outcome measures including self-reported quantity and frequency of drinking, and drinking-related problems. Since college drinking is associated with substantial negative effects for drinkers, as well as for others, the findings of this study may have significant public health implications in terms of reducing costs, and improving services for students who choose to drink.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants must be enrolled in Southern Methodist University.
* Participants must report one "binge" episode (4 or more drinks in one setting for women, 5 or more drinks in one setting for men) in the past two weeks.
* Participants must be at least 18 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participants will be excluded if they are not enrolled at Southern Methodist University.
* Participants will be excluded if they do not report at least one "binge" episode in the past two weeks.
* Participants will be excluded if they are less than 18 years old.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Drinks per week
timeFrame: one year
measure: Peak BAC
timeFrame: one year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Alcohol Related Consequences (RAPI)
timeFrame: one year
measure: Interpersonal Violence (CADRI)
timeFrame: one year
measure: Readiness to Change (RTCQ)
timeFrame: one year
measure: Protective Behaviors (PBQ)
timeFrame: one year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: Southern Methodist University
state: Texas
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional Campus
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Texas School of Public Health
name: Scott T Walters, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Walters ST, Roudsari BS, Vader AM, Harris TR. Correlates of protective behavior utilization among heavy-drinking college students. Addict Behav. 2007 Nov;32(11):2633-44. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.06.022. Epub 2007 Jun 29.
citation: Walters ST, Vader AM, Harris TR, Field CA, Jouriles EN. Dismantling motivational interviewing and feedback for college drinkers: a randomized clinical trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Feb;77(1):64-73. doi: 10.1037/a0014472.
citation: Roudsari BS, Leahy MM, Walters ST. Correlates of dating violence among male and female heavy-drinking college students. J Interpers Violence. 2009 Nov;24(11):1892-905. doi: 10.1177/0886260508325492. Epub 2008 Nov 3.
citation: Harris TR, Walters ST, Leahy MM. Readiness to change among a group of heavy-drinking college students: correlates of readiness and a comparison of measures. J Am Coll Health. 2008 Nov-Dec;57(3):325-30. doi: 10.3200/JACH.57.3.325-330.
citation: Walters ST, Vader AM, Harris TR, Jouriles EN. Reactivity to alcohol assessment measures: an experimental test. Addiction. 2009 Aug;104(8):1305-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02632.x.