Helpline Pilot Factorial
Official title: Helpline Delivery of Brief Interventions for Postpartum Heavy Episodic Drinking
Run by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University · NCT06591026 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small pilot study will test different combinations of a helpline, motivational interviewing, coping skills training, and automated texts to see if postpartum mothers who drink heavily can be helped to reduce heavy drinking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 45 Years |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New York, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | July 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | July 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06591026 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Postpartum mothers aged 18-45 in the United States who screen positive for alcohol risk and can engage via text messaging.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals outside the age range, not within 4 weeks postpartum, not English-speaking, or without a text-enabled phone may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot study uses a 2x2x2 factorial design to evaluate four intervention components among 120 postpartum mothers in the United States over 24 weeks. Participants are randomized to eight condition combinations to assess feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the components, and to gather early data on potential effects on motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and drinking frequency/quantity. The primary aim is feasibility rather than formal hypothesis testing, to inform a larger future trial. The study is conducted under an R34 framework with a focus on implementation potential and preliminary effect sizes. Recruitment is through social media, and eligibility requires postpartum status, English proficiency, a text-enabled phone, and risky drinking as defined by screening tools.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could offer a scalable set of tools to help postpartum mothers reduce heavy drinking.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have explored similar components separately; this design tests their combined and interactive effects, which is relatively novel in this specific population.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Resides full-time in the United States * Age 18-45 years * Gave birth to an infant within the prior 4 weeks * Speaks and reads English * Owns a text-enabled cell-phone * Receives a score of 2 or more on the T-ACE alcohol risk screener * Reports ONE of the following: (a) drinking weekly or more often in the prior month; or (b) having 4 or more standard drinks at one time at least monthly in the 12 months prior to becoming pregnant. Exclusion Criteria: * Resides outside of the United States * Age under 18 years or over 45 years * Did not give birth to an infant within the prior 4 weeks * Cannot speak and read English * Does not own a text-enabled cell-phone * Does not receive a score of at least 2 on the T-ACE alcohol risk screener * Does not report either drinking weekly or more often in the past month or having 4 or more standard drinks at least monthly in the 12 months prior to becoming pregnant * Scores greater than 4 on the AUDIT-C, indicating an alcohol use disorder
Where it's running
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Partnership to End Addiction
New York, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sarah Dauber, PhD
- Email: sdauber@toendaddiction.org
- Phone: 212-841-5270
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.