Teaching healthy regulation to adolescents in challenging environments

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a coaching intervention called GRIT, delivered by community health workers, in preventing early alcohol and cannabis use among adolescents aged 11-14 who have experienced significant adversity. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the GRIT intervention or an active control group receiving a Digital Citizenship Curriculum. The study will assess the impact of GRIT on self-regulation and cardiometabolic risks over time, focusing on youth and caregiver dynamics. By addressing the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the trial seeks to improve health outcomes for at-risk youth.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Youth ages 11-14 years who score in the High-Risk category (i.e., 4 or more ACEs) on the ACEs and Toxic Stress Risk Assessment Algorithm
* Has access to a smartphone and is willing to download applicable apps (95% of all adolescents have access to a smartphone)
* Youth who are able to speak and read in English
* Has a parent/guardian/primary caregiver (18 years or older) who is English- or Spanish-speaking and willing to participate in the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Youth who cannot speak and read in English
* Youth who report any alcohol or cannabis use within the last 14 days
* Youth currently enrolled in another family-based intervention (i.e., family therapy)
* Youth in acute distress who are in immediate need of care (e.g., imminent risk of harm to self or others, active psychosis)
* Youth who report their caregivers' home environment is unsafe to return to, have been deemed unsafe, or require supervised visits by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
* Youth whose parent/guardian/primary caregiver declines participation will be referred to other programs in their community.
* Due to drug experimentation being common in adolescence, our interest in preventing the early initiation of regular use of alcohol and cannabis use, and youth who regularly use substances requiring a different intervention, we will enroll youth who initially report recent cannabis use but later report no use within the last two weeks and have a confirmatory negative urine drug screening.

Where it's running

• The Regents of the University of California, Irvine
  Irvine, California, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Dawn T. Bounds, Ph.D. — University of California, Irvine
• Study coordinator: Dawn T. Bounds, Ph.D.
• Email: boundsd@hs.uci.edu
• Phone: 949-742-7109

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.