Marijuana Dependence Treatment PRN

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) The proposed Stage IB study, submitted with reference to NIDA's Behavioral Therapies Development Program (PA-99-107), will contribute to the development of a new model of behavioral therapy for adults who seek treatment to overcome dependence on marijuana. The experimental intervention will permit participants to receive brief episodes of counseling on demand or "as needed" (prn) over a three-year period. The proposed study is intended to preliminarily assess the viability of a "prn" intervention prior to its assessment for efficacy in a Stage II trial. Eighty-six marijuana-dependent adults will be recruited and randomly assigned to: (a) a standard of care control condition involving nine individual counseling sessions delivered over a 12-week period, or (b) the experimental condition that begins with four counseling sessions in which motivational enhancement and coping skills training are incorporated, and is followed by the opportunity over a three year period for participants to receive subsequent episodes (one to three sessions per episode) of counseling on an as-needed basis. Follow-up assessments of all participants will take place at six month intervals for the three year period following the initiation of their counseling.