e-PBI+ for College Substance Abuse

Overseen By Robert Turrisi, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Outside teen age range, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

2425 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

College students' risky drinking and cannabis use are major public health problems. The harms associated with risky drinking have been well-documented (such as deaths, blackouts, injuries, assaults, arrests, sexual consequences, academic consequences). Both college health administrators and parents have requested electronic parent-based interventions (e-PBIs) with additional content on cannabis. Parents have demonstrated ample motivation to communicate with their teens. The proposed research will attempt to enhance an existing effective e-PBI, curb the alarming trends noted in the literature, and move the field forward by conducting a randomized controlled trial testing a modified version of the e-PBI that includes updated content including the most up-to-date scientific information from cannabis studies (e-PBI+).

Do I need to stop 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 effectiveness of the e-PBI+ treatment for college substance abuse?

Research shows that parent-based interventions (PBIs) can help reduce drinking among college students, especially when combined with additional materials like booster brochures. These interventions work by correcting parents' misperceptions about their children's alcohol use, which can lead to better communication and reduced drinking. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the e-PBI+ treatment different from other treatments for college substance abuse?

The e-PBI+ treatment is unique because it involves parents in the intervention process, using electronic resources to guide them in communicating effectively with their college-aged children about alcohol use. This approach is different from other treatments that may not involve parental participation or focus on correcting parents' misperceptions about their child's drinking habits. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Research Team

Robert Turrisi, PhD

Principal Investigator

Penn State University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for parents and their college-aged teens who are willing to participate together. It's aimed at reducing risky behaviors like underage drinking and cannabis use. To join, both parent and teen must agree and complete a baseline assessment.

Inclusion Criteria

Parent and teen both consent and complete baseline (forming a dyad testing unit)

Exclusion Criteria

I am not a teenager.

Both parent and teen do not consent and complete baseline

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive the e-PBI+ or e-PBI intervention, or are part of the attention-matched control group

3 months

Baseline assessment and intervention delivery

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol and cannabis use and related outcomes

9 months

3-month, 6-month, and 9-month follow-up assessments

Treatment Details

Interventions

• e-PBI
• e-PBI+

Trial Overview The study is testing two electronic parent-based interventions (e-PBIs). The standard e-PBI focuses on alcohol, while the enhanced version, e-PBI+, includes additional content on cannabis risks based on recent scientific findings.

Participant Groups

Group I: e-PBI+ Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The e-PBI+ is an electronic handbook developed by the PI to guide parents in discussing drinking, behaviors, and consequences with their teens, with additional content on cannabis use.

Group II: e-PBI Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

the e-PBI is an electronic handbook developed by the PI to guide parents in discussing drinking, behaviors, and consequences with their teens.

Group III: e-AC Active Control 1 Intervention

The e-AC is the attention matched control. They will receive general university-related materials to read, sections on parent and family resources (e.g., message from administrators, getting involved, academic calendar), advising, money matters, financial aid, campus life (arts, entertainment, housing, etc.), health and safety (health, counseling services, alcohol and drug laws). It is equivalent to the e-PBI+ and e-PBI on length of content and time to read. This group will not receive an intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

Findings from Research

A study involving 443 first-year college students found that a parent-based intervention (PBI) significantly reduced drinking behaviors when combined with booster brochures (PBI-B) compared to a control group.

The PBI-B group reported less drinking to intoxication and lower peak drinking levels at a 4-month follow-up, highlighting the added effectiveness of booster materials in reducing alcohol consumption among college students.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial evaluating a parent based intervention to reduce college drinking. Doumas, DM., Turrisi, R., Ray, AE., et al.[2021]

A study involving 144 parents of college students showed that web-based normative feedback effectively increased parents' intentions to discuss alcohol use with their children, indicating a potential for improved communication about drinking behaviors.

After receiving feedback, parents recognized that their children likely drank more than they initially thought and perceived other parents as less approving of alcohol use, suggesting that addressing misperceptions can enhance parental engagement in alcohol-related discussions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Normative feedback for parents of college students: piloting a parent based intervention to correct misperceptions of students' alcohol use and other parents' approval of drinking. Labrie, JW., Napper, LE., Hummer, JF.[2021]

Parents who participated in the parent-based intervention (PBI) were more likely to use harm-reduction communication regarding alcohol and were more permissive about alcohol use compared to those who did not participate.

The study highlights a potential non-response bias in recruiting parents for PBIs, suggesting that recruitment strategies need to be improved to ensure a more diverse group of participants, as the current approach may not adequately represent all parenting styles.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating Non-response Bias in a Parent-Based College Alcohol Intervention. Morgan, RM., Trager, BM., LaBrie, JW., et al.[2023]

A randomized trial involving 724 college freshmen and their parents showed that a parent-based intervention (PBI) significantly reduced the likelihood of students transitioning from nondrinkers to drinkers over an 8-month period.

The PBI was particularly effective for female students, as it slowed their growth in drinking, while no significant effects were observed for male students regarding heavy episodic drinking or alcohol-related problems.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial of a parent-based intervention on drinking behavior among incoming college freshmen. Ichiyama, MA., Fairlie, AM., Wood, MD., et al.[2021]

A study involving 1,900 college students found that parent-based interventions (PBIs) delivered before college significantly reduced the likelihood of students engaging in higher-risk drinking patterns, especially for those with positive, anti-alcohol, or negative father parenting styles.

The effectiveness of these interventions was influenced by the type of parent and the timing of the intervention, supporting the idea that tailoring the delivery of PBIs can optimize their impact on reducing college student drinking.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimizing timing and dosage: does parent type moderate the effects of variations of a parent-based intervention to reduce college student drinking? Varvil-Weld, L., Scaglione, N., Cleveland, MJ., et al.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial evaluating a parent based intervention to reduce college drinking. [2021]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Normative feedback for parents of college students: piloting a parent based intervention to correct misperceptions of students' alcohol use and other parents' approval of drinking. [2021]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating Non-response Bias in a Parent-Based College Alcohol Intervention. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial of a parent-based intervention on drinking behavior among incoming college freshmen. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimizing timing and dosage: does parent type moderate the effects of variations of a parent-based intervention to reduce college student drinking? [2021]