One-session computerized program with text reminders to help manage distress and reduce cannabis use
Official title: Refinement and Pilot Testing of a Computerized Distress Tolerance Intervention with Just-In-Time Text Message Reminders for Cannabis Use Disorder
Funded at Florida State University · NIH-11399242 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A short computer-delivered emotional skills session plus just-in-time text reminders to help people who use cannabis and struggle with handling distress learn to tolerate emotions and cut back on use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $197,208 |
| NIH project number | 7R34DA057733-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399242 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who use cannabis regularly and report high distress intolerance or symptoms of Cannabis Use Disorder would be the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use cannabis, who have low distress intolerance, or who need intensive or inpatient addiction treatment may not benefit from this brief intervention.
What this research studies
You would complete a single, guided computerized session that teaches distress-tolerance and emotion-regulation skills and uses a modified imaginal exposure to practice staying with difficult feelings. The session includes an audio/visual 'habituation' cue to mark emotional progress, and you'll report moments of natural distress through quick phone check-ins. When you report feeling distressed, the study will send just-in-time text reminders that prompt use of the habituation cue and the learned skills in everyday life. Researchers will first get feedback from a small group to refine the program and then compare the one-session intervention to a control group in a randomized pilot trial to see if it improves distress tolerance and reduces cannabis use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give people a brief, low-cost tool to better handle distress and reduce harmful cannabis use through phone-delivered practice and reminders.
How similar studies have gone: Brief computerized and text-based interventions have shown promise for substance use and emotional skills in prior trials, but combining a one-session distress-tolerance exposure with audio/visual habituation cues delivered via just-in-time texts is a newer, pilot-stage approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida State University
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Macatee, Richard — Florida State University
- Study coordinator: Macatee, Richard
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.