Telehealth treatment for alcohol use disorder involving family support

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 study evaluates a new telehealth intervention called Brief Family-Involved Treatment (B-FIT) designed to improve treatment outcomes for Veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The intervention is delivered alongside standard Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and aims to enhance family involvement in the treatment process. The study is a 12-week, open randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of B-FIT combined with treatment as usual against treatment as usual alone. By focusing on family dynamics, the study seeks to optimize engagement and reduce relapse rates among Veterans struggling with AUD.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participants will be 200 Veterans and a family member, plus their treatment companion, a concerned partner or friend (total N=400; 50% women veterans) aged 21 or older.

Inclusion criteria for Veterans require that they:

1. Meet diagnostic criteria for current moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) with 2 or more heavy drinking days (\>5 for men, \>4 for women) in the 60 days prior to enrollment
2. Have an adult family member/treatment companion who is willing to participate
3. Demonstrate cognitive functioning sufficient to provide informed consent and participate accurately (≥ 26 on the Mini-Mental Status Exam \[MMSE\])
4. Maintain a stable dose of psychotropic medications for at least 4 weeks before enrollment. Concurrent drug use disorders are acceptable provided alcohol is the Veteran's primary substance of choice. Drug use will be measured weekly and controlled for in statistical analyses if needed.

Inclusion criteria for the family member/treatment companion require that they:

1. Are not receiving or seeking treatment for their own alcohol or drug problem
2. Report total Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores \<8
3. Report total Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) scores \<3.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria for all participants include:

1. History of or current psychotic or bipolar disorder
2. Alcohol withdrawal (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised (CIWA-Ar) score \>8)
3. Current suicidal or homicidal ideation and intent
4. Severe or unilateral violence in the past 6 months as measured by the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) (consistent with extant dyadic treatment literature).

Where it's running

• Medical University of South Carolina
  Charleston, South Carolina, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Stacey Sellers, MS
• Email: sellersst@musc.edu
• Phone: 843-792-5807

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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.