40 Participants Needed

Episodic Future Thinking for Health Behaviors

JF
AK
Overseen ByAshley Kucera, MPH
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Henry Ford Health System
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a brief, episodic future thinking (EFT) intervention in a substance use treatment setting serving returning citizens with substance use disorders (SUD). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Determine preliminary implementation potential of the EFT intervention, including acceptability and feasibility of conducting the intervention. 2. Examine the preliminary effectiveness of this approach, with a specific focus on patient outcomes, including changes in delay discounting, treatment retention, treatment motivation, and substance use. Participants will be asked to participant in pre and post assessment questionnaires, participate in a single-episode brief intervention followed by tailored phone call follow-ups.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the idea that Episodic Future Thinking for Health Behaviors is an effective treatment?

The available research shows that Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) is effective in helping people make healthier choices. For example, a study on low-income overweight or obese young mothers found that EFT helped them lose weight. Another study showed that EFT can reduce delay discounting, which is when people prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, future ones. This is important because it relates to better health behaviors like eating less and exercising more. Additionally, both written and drawn EFT cues were found to be effective, giving flexibility in how the treatment can be used.12345

What safety data is available for Episodic Future Thinking interventions?

The provided research does not contain any safety data related to Episodic Future Thinking interventions or its variants like ETHoR, SET, or EFT. The studies focus on fear of cancer recurrence and related interventions, which are unrelated to the safety of Episodic Future Thinking treatments.678910

Is the treatment Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) promising for improving health behaviors?

Yes, Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) is a promising treatment for improving health behaviors. It helps people make healthier choices by imagining their future, which can reduce the tendency to choose immediate rewards over long-term benefits. Studies show that EFT can be effective in real-world settings, like helping people lose weight or reduce substance use.12111213

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults over 18 who identify as being in recovery from substance use, can engage with English-language materials, have been incarcerated within the last year, and are open to participating in assessments and follow-up calls or messages.

Inclusion Criteria

I am willing to receive calls, emails, and texts for study updates.
Identify as an individual in substance use recovery
I am willing to participate in the study.
See 3 more

Exclusion Criteria

Individuals ineligible or unwilling to participate in study activities and assessments
Self-reporting of active and untreated psychosis

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Elongating Time HOrizons for Reentry (ETHoR)
  • Standardized Episodic Thinking (SET)
Trial OverviewThe study tests a brief intervention called Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) for people with substance use disorders. It looks at how well EFT works when delivered by peers and its impact on treatment motivation, retention, decision-making about immediate versus future rewards (delay discounting), and actual substance use.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Elongating Time HOrizons for Reentry (ETHoR)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) utilizes participant-generated descriptions of future events to elongate an individual's temporal horizon. In EFT paradigms, the participant is asked to create and envision vivid descriptions of specific, positively valanced, events that could happen in the future. Recent research suggests that directing EFTs to focus on specific goals (i.e. evoking images of oneself engaging in activities consistent with a desired future outcome) are associated with stronger decreases in undesirable health behaviors. Thus, as part of the ETHoR condition, participants will be asked to verbally describe and imagine four specific events reflecting positive activities in which the participant engages in substance and incarceration-free activities, corresponding to predetermined future timepoints. The PRC will encourage participants to include as many contextual and emotional details as possible.
Group II: Standardized Recent Thinking (ERT)Active Control1 Intervention
Individuals in the control group utilizes SET; an approach that controls for activation of episodic thinking but does not engage prospection (the hypothesized mechanism of episodic future thinking, future outcome) are associated with stronger decreases in undesirable health behaviors. Thus, as part of the SET condition, participants will be asked to verbally describe and imagine four current events reflecting positive activities in which the participant engages in substance and incarceration-free activities, corresponding to current experiences. The PRC will encourage participants to include as many contextual and emotional details as possible.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Henry Ford Health System

Lead Sponsor

Trials
334
Recruited
2,197,000+

Michigan State University

Collaborator

Trials
202
Recruited
687,000+

Detroit Recovery Project INC

Collaborator

Trials
1
Recruited
40+

University of Kansas

Collaborator

Trials
157
Recruited
332,000+

Findings from Research

The pilot goal-oriented episodic future thinking (GoEFT) intervention was well-accepted by low-income overweight or obese mothers, with participants appreciating the structured approach to setting and evaluating goals.
The intervention demonstrated significant efficacy in promoting weight loss, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and improving emotional control, along with reducing fat and sugar intake and alleviating stress, indicating its potential as an effective weight management strategy.
A Pilot Goal-Oriented Episodic Future Thinking Weight Loss Intervention for Low-Income Overweight or Obese Young Mothers.Chang, MW., Tan, A., Wegener, DT., et al.[2023]
Episodic future thinking (EFT) is a promising behavioral intervention that can help reduce delay discounting and improve health behaviors, but there is significant variability in how EFT is implemented across studies.
The review highlights the need for standardized methods in generating EFT cues and suggests best practices, while also identifying gaps in research that need to be addressed to enhance the efficacy and effectiveness of EFT as an intervention.
Putting prospection into practice: Methodological considerations in the use of episodic future thinking to reduce delay discounting and maladaptive health behaviors.Brown, JM., Stein, JS.[2023]
A smartphone-based intervention designed to enhance future-oriented thinking and personal goal achievement is being tested on 166 first-year university students, comparing its effectiveness to a goal-setting control group over a three-week period.
The study aims to evaluate user experiences, adherence to the app, and the impact of different intervention modules on outcomes like self-defeating behavior and future self-identification, with follow-up assessments at three months to measure lasting effects.
Stimulating a future-oriented mindset and goal attainment through a smartphone-based intervention: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Mertens, ECA., van der Schalk, J., Siezenga, AM., et al.[2022]

References

A Pilot Goal-Oriented Episodic Future Thinking Weight Loss Intervention for Low-Income Overweight or Obese Young Mothers. [2023]
Putting prospection into practice: Methodological considerations in the use of episodic future thinking to reduce delay discounting and maladaptive health behaviors. [2023]
Stimulating a future-oriented mindset and goal attainment through a smartphone-based intervention: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. [2022]
Giving Hope as a High Reliability Function of Health Care. [2023]
Written or drawn episodic future thinking cues improves delay discounting in adults. [2022]
Correction to Maheu et al. (2023). [2023]
Targeted eHealth Intervention to Reduce Breast Cancer Survivors' Fear of Recurrence: Results From the FoRtitude Randomized Trial. [2022]
Measuring fear of cancer recurrence in survivors of childhood cancer: Development and preliminary validation of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI)-Child and Parent versions. [2022]
Long-term fear of recurrence in young breast cancer survivors and partners. [2022]
Rapid screener for the assessment of fear of progression in cancer survivors: The Fear of progression-Questionnaire Rapid Screener. [2021]
Mix and Match: An Investigation into Whether Episodic Future Thinking Cues Need to Match Discounting Delays in Order to Be Effective. [2021]
12.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Imagining the future can shape the present: A systematic review of the impact of episodic future thinking on substance use outcomes. [2023]
13.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Translating episodic future thinking manipulations for clinical use: Development of a clinical control. [2023]