Screening and Brief Advice to Reduce Teen Substance Use
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00227877 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : September 28, 2005
Results First Posted : September 21, 2018
Last Update Posted : August 14, 2019
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The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a brief intervention for alcohol and drug use in adolescents that a primary care doctor can give in his/her office. The study will be conducted in nine primary care offices in three New England states, and in ten pediatric offices in Prague, Czech Republic (CZR).
We hypothesize that:
- Among 12-18 year old well care patients who screen positive for drug/alcohol use, the experimental intervention administered by trained primary care providers will be more effective than standard care in decreasing drug and alcohol use;
- Among 12-18 year old well care patients who screen negative for drug/alcohol use, the experimental intervention administered by trained primary care providers will be more effective than standard care in decreasing initiation of drug and alcohol use as measured by self-reports of substance use;
- Among 12-18 year old well care patients who are at risk for riding with an impaired driver or driving while impaired, the experimental intervention administered by trained primary care providers will be more effective than standard care in decreasing Riding/Driving risk behavior as measured by a standardized scale.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Substance Related Disorders | Behavioral: cSBA - New England, USA Behavioral: cSBA - Prague, CZR | Not Applicable |
We are trying to find out the best way for doctors to talk with their adolescent patients about alcohol and drug use. Adolescents 12-18 who are coming to their doctor's office for a routine well-care or follow-up visit will be invited to participate in the study. Participants do not have to have ever used alcohol or drugs. All participants will answer a computerized questionnaire about alcohol and drug use three times. The first one will be at the time of a doctor's visit. The second time will be three months later and the third time a year later. Adolescents who agree to be in the study during the first year will be in the 'control' group. Their doctor will talk to them about drugs and alcohol the same as he/she usually does for all his/her patients. Those who agree to be in the study during the second year will be in the 'intervention' group. Everyone in the 'intervention' group will receive some advice on the computer about their alcohol and drug use. Their doctor will also give them some specific advice about drug and alcohol use. The researchers have chosen what that advice will be, and all doctors involved in the study will give advice according to the study protocol. Participants and their parents will also be given educational information about alcohol and drugs. We will test the effectiveness of the intervention by comparing drug and alcohol use between those who are in the 'control' group, and those who are in the 'intervention' group.
We we will also validate the Czech version of the CRAFFT screen before conducting the effectiveness trial outlined above in the Czech Republic.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 2695 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | In this before-/after- quasi-experimental trial, all sites first completed a treatment-as-usual phase with assessments only, followed by all sites undergoing training and completing a subsequent intervention phase. |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Screening and Brief Advice to Reduce Teen Substance Use |
Actual Study Start Date : | December 2005 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | December 2008 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | February 2010 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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No Intervention: Control - New England, USA
Control participants will receive "care as usual" from their provider
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Experimental: cSBA - New England, USA
Participants who are in the experimental arm will complete the CRAFFT screen on the computer and receive information on the computer regarding the health effects of substance use. Their provider will be given the results of their CRAFFT screen and a list of suggested "talking points" which they will use to guide a discussion with the patient about drug and alcohol use. Participants and their families will also receive educational brochures about substance use.
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Behavioral: cSBA - New England, USA
Participants who are in the experimental arm will complete the CRAFFT screen on the computer and receive information on the computer regarding the health effects of substance use. Their provider will be given the results of their CRAFFT screen and a list of suggested "talking point" which they will use to guide a discussion with the patient about drug and alcohol use. Participants and their families will also receive educational brochures about substance use.
Other Name: SBIRT |
No Intervention: Control - Prague, CZR
Control participants will receive "care as usual" from their provider
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Experimental: cSBA - Prague, CZR
Participants who are in the experimental arm will complete the CRAFFT screen on the computer and receive information on the computer regarding the health effects of substance use. Their provider will be given the results of their CRAFFT screen and a list of suggested "talking points" which they will use to guide a discussion with the patient about drug and alcohol use. Participants and their families will also receive educational brochures about substance use.
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Behavioral: cSBA - Prague, CZR
Participants who are in the experimental arm will complete the CRAFFT screen on the computer and receive information on the computer regarding the health effects of substance use. Their provider will be given the results of their CRAFFT screen and a list of suggested "talking point" which they will use to guide a discussion with the patient about drug and alcohol use. Participants and their families will also receive educational brochures about substance use.
Other Name: SBIRT |
- Past-90-day Substance Use at 3 Months Among Baseline Substance Users - New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Among the 12-18 year old primary care patients who reported past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline in New England, USA, this analysis reports the number who subsequently reported past-90-day drug or alcohol use at the 3 months post-baseline assessment.
- Past-90-day Substance Use at 3 Months Among Baseline Substance Non-Users, New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Among the 12-18 year old primary care patients who did NOT report past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline in New England, USA, this analysis reports the number who subsequently reported past-90-day drug or alcohol use at the 3 months post-baseline assessment.
- Past-12-month Substance Use at 12 Months Among Baseline Substance Users, New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-12-months at 12 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-90-day drug or alcohol use at 12 months post-baseline assessment in New England, USA
- Past-12-month Substance Use at 12 Months, Baseline Substance Non-Users, New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-12-months at 12 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported NO past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-90-day drug or alcohol use at 12 months post-baseline assessment in New England, USA
- Past-90-day Substance Use at 3 Months Among Baseline Substance Users - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-90-day drug or alcohol use at 3 months post-baseline assessment in Prague, Czech Republic
- Past-90-day Substance Use at 3 Months Among Baseline Substance Non-Users - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported NO past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-90-day drug or alcohol use at 3 months post-baseline assessment in Prague, Czech Republic
- Past-12-Month Substance Use at 12 Months Among Baseline Substance Users - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-12-months at 12 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-12-month drug or alcohol use at 12 months post-baseline assessment in Prague, Czech Republic
- Past-12-Month Substance Use at 12 Months Among Baseline Substance Non-Users - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-12-months at 12 months post-baseline ]Of those participants who reported past-12-month drug or alcohol use at baseline,the number reporting past-12-month drug or alcohol use at 12 months post-baseline assessment in Prague, Czech Republic
- Any Risky Riding or Driving at 3 Months - New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Any past-90-day self-reported Riding with a driver who had used alcohol or other drugs or Driving after having used alcohol or other drugs at 3 months post-baseline assessment - New England
- Any Risky Riding or Driving at 12 Months - New England, USA [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 12 months post-baseline ]Any past-90-day self-reported Riding with a driver who had used alcohol or other drugs or Driving after having used alcohol or other drugs at 12 months post-baseline assessment - New England
- Any Risky Riding or Driving at 3 Months - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 3 months post-baseline ]Any past-90-day self-reported Riding with a driver who had used alcohol or other drugs or Driving after having used alcohol or other drugs at 3 months post-baseline assessment - Prague, Czech Republic
- Any Risky Riding or Driving at 12 Months - Prague, CZR [ Time Frame: Past-90-days at 12 months post-baseline ]Any past-90-day self-reported Riding with a driver who had used alcohol or other drugs or Driving after having used alcohol or other drugs at 12 months post-baseline assessment - Prague, Czech Republic

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 12 Years to 18 Years (Child, Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
12-18 year old patients coming for well care or follow-up visits to one of the study sites, All levels of substance use, Able to read and understand English
Exclusion Criteria:
Will not be available for 12 month follow-up period, Medically unstable at the time of the visit

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00227877
United States, Massachusetts | |
Tufts-New England Medical Center | |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02111 | |
Cambridge Pediatrics | |
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, 02139 | |
Fallon Clinic | |
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01605 | |
United States, New Hampshire | |
Capital Region Family Health Center | |
Concord, New Hampshire, United States, 03301 | |
United States, Vermont | |
Milton Family Practice | |
Milton, Vermont, United States, 05468 | |
Czechia | |
Center for the Evaluation, Prevention, and Research of Substance Abuse | |
Prague, Czechia |
Principal Investigator: | John R Knight, M.D. | Boston Children's Hospital |
Publications of Results:
Other Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | John R Knight, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00227877 |
Obsolete Identifiers: | NCT00592878, NCT00592956 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
NIDA-R01DA0118848 |
First Posted: | September 28, 2005 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | September 21, 2018 |
Last Update Posted: | August 14, 2019 |
Last Verified: | August 2019 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
alcohol abuse substance abuse substance related disorders |
Substance-Related Disorders Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders |