Clinical Research Directory

SER Familia: A Family-Based Intervention Addressing Syndemic Conditions Among Latino Families

This study aims to prevent syndemic health conditions by decreasing acculturative stress and promoting resilience via SER Familia (Salud, Estrés y Resilencia en Familias/ Health, Stress, and Resilience in Families), a family-based intervention. SER Familia is a six-session intervention co-developed and delivered by community health workers (CHWs) that uses strategies to reduce acculturative stress, promote resilience, improve parent-child and family level health, while simultaneously helping families maintain strong social networks and better navigate community resources to address social determinants of health (SDOH). More specifically, investigators aim to: 1) Examine the efficacy of SER Familia to prevent or reduce the syndemic comprised of substance abuse, IPV, HIV risk, depression, and anxiety among Parents and Youth; and 2) Identify how individual, family, and community mechanisms of change related to acculturative stress and resilience mediates the effect of SER Familia.

Youth Overdose & Use Reduction in Rural Systems

The goal of this study is to conduct a clinical trial to understand effects of providing multilevel intervention to young people in the legal system. The multilevel intervention includes flexible care management using ACRA/ACC principles, family support, and overdose education. This study aims to test the implementation strategy, as well as the outcomes of the intervention with participants. The first question the study will address is how successful was implementation. This will be measured by the number of youth receiving case management, family support, naloxone supplies, and overdose prevention curricula, and adoption by the participating county court systems. The second question the study will address is whether the intervention impacted youth behavioral outcomes, such as overdose risk awareness, knowledge of how to use naloxone, and number of days per month using substances. Researchers will compare youth who received the intervention to youth who received usual treatment to see if the intervention increases overdose risk awareness and knowledge, and decreases frequency of substance use. Participants will receive the intervention (if assigned to) and complete study surveys. Participating counties will provide data on implementation, and site visits will also be performed to track each county's performance.

Testing a Mobile Health Application to Improve HIV Prevention and Substance Use Treatment Among Women Involved in the Carceral System

Women involved in the carceral system (WICS) are at higher risk for both HIV and substance use than the general public. WICS are also more likely to engage in behaviors both before and after release that put them at risk for HIV and for overdose, due to opioid use. Despite these risk factors, WICS are less likely to be aware of, use, or adhere to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and have less access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The primary goal of the proposed research is to pilot test a systematically developed PrEP and MOUD uptake intervention for WICS using contextually relevant messages developed through novel formative research methods and embedded in a web-based application in a rigorous research design. The investigators will then test this approach (called PA-LINKS) in a pilot randomized trial with women who have recently been incarcerated in Philadelphia in partnership with Philadelphia FIGHT, a federally qualified health center, for promise of efficacy, and to assess feasibility and acceptability.

Health Surveillance at Constructor University Bremen (CUB)

The aim of Health Surveillance is to analyze and describe the state of health of students at Constructor University, key influencing factors and individual resources by using mixed-method design.

Addressing Risk Through Community Treatment for Infectious Disease and Opioid Use Disorder Now (ACTION) Among Justice-involved Populations

This is a 5-year Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Randomized Control Trial (RCT) that compares two models of linking and retaining individuals recently released from justice involvement to the continuum of community-based HIV prevention and treatment, HCV treatment, STI treatment, and opioid use disorder (OUD) prevention and treatment, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) service cascades of care.

Micropractices for Unhoused LGBTQ Youth

In the present study, the investigators will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of brief, co-designed mindfulness and identity-affirming micropractices for LGBTQ youth and young adults experiencing housing instability. Participants (n = 200, accounting for anticipated attrition) will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) a mindfulness and identity-based micropractice condition or (2) a structurally equivalent neutral control condition. The intervention content will be developed using a participatory co-design process with members of the target population and standardized prior to trial implementation. The mindfulness and identity condition integrates brief practices targeting present-moment awareness and identity affirmation, whereas the control condition accounts for time and attention without including these components. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, assessed using standardized implementation outcome measures and indicators of intervention adherence. Secondary outcomes include changes in mental health symptoms, psychological and emotional well-being, and substance use. The investigators will evaluate whether the mindfulness and identity-based condition demonstrates greater improvements in outcomes compared to the control condition and will estimate effect sizes to inform the design of future fully powered trials. The intervention will be delivered via a mobile-accessible platform.

Brief Intervention Addressing Stigma Among Parents of Children With Mental Health Problems

The goal of this study is to test the efficacy of brief video interventions parental internalized stigma and stigma-related outcomes (e.g., treatment intentions, caregiver burden, secrecy) among parents (ages 25-50) of children ages 6-18 with depression, ADHD, or substance use problems. Timely identification and treatment of mental health problems in youth is a public health priority. However, many youth do not receive treatment, and stigma has been identified as the primary barrier to help-seeking. Parents experience stigma related to their children having mental health problems, which has been associated with reduced help-seeking and increased parental distress. Prior experiments have found brief video-based interventions (BVIs), 1-2 minute videos similar to those viewed by youth on social media platforms, based on the principle of "social contact" with individuals affected by a stigmatized condition, effective in reducing mental health stigma and increasing help-seeking. In this 4-arm RCT, the investigators will recruit parents aged 25-50 using an online crowdsourcing platform, to test the efficacy of BVIs featuring a personal parent narrative of their experience with their child's a) depression, b) ADHD, or c) substance use, or d) a control condition that provides general written psychoeducational information without social contact.

Mobile Technology to Reduce Teen Substance Misuse

The goal of this study is to test the newly expanded WisePath for Teens (WPT) for substance use app, a direct-to-consumer paired mobile phone app for iOS and Android platforms that supports parents/guardians in delivering evidence-based techniques to reduce youth substance abuse and co-occurring mental health problems. This project will expand WPT for use with a general population of teens with problematic substance use and their parents to reduce substance abuse, its harmful effects, opioid overdoses, and progression to substance use disorders, as well as other behavioral health problems that are exacerbated by substance abuse and/or interfere with substance abuse treatment.

Harm Reduction Services

The purpose of this study is to assess whether an integrated harm reduction intervention (IHRI), compared to harm reduction (HR) services as usual, will improve harm reduction service utilization among Black and Latinx people who use drugs (PWUD).

Testing ALERT With GTO in Middle Schools

To test the efficacy of Project ALERT with the support enhancement tool, Getting To Outcomes.

Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk (KyOSK): Reducing HIV, HCV, and Overdose Risk

This study will test the effectiveness, implementation outcomes, and cost effectiveness of a locally-tailored, health kiosk to reduce overdose, hepatitis C, and HIV risk behavior and improve linkage to care in rural Appalachia. The proposed project will take place in two counties in Appalachian Kentucky, an epicenter for the intertwined national crises of overdoses, hepatitis C, and injection-related infections.

Increasing Caregiver Engagement in Juvenile Drug Courts

The purpose of this study is to test a prize-based contingency management intervention for increasing caregiver engagement in juvenile drug court and adolescent drug treatment, and for achieving the ultimate outcomes of reduced substance use and delinquent behavior among drug court-involved youth.

Hispanic Men Building Respect Education and Safety/ HoMBRES Manteniendo Respeto, Educacion y Seguridad.

The overall objective of this project is to adapt and enhance HoMBReS (Hispanic Men Building Respect, Education, and Safety within Families /Hombres Manteniendo Respeto, Educacion y Seguridad de Familia), a Center for Disease Control (CDC)-identified best-evidence HIV behavioral intervention designed to reduce substance abuse, family violence, and HIV/AIDS (SAVA) among sexually active heterosexual Latino seasonal farmworkers (LSFWs) in rural areas.

The Trans-Led Care Study

This study is testing a new mutual-help group called "the TLC program" for transgender adults who use substances or are recently in recovery. The TLC Program is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or "ACT" which is a type of mental health counseling that focuses on using mindfulness skills to connect a person to their values and improve their mental health. The TLC Program was developed by transgender and gender diverse community members, mental health providers, and researchers.

Neuroimaging of Adolescent Cannabis Use Treatment

This study is testing whether brain activity related to learning can help predict how well teens respond to a treatment program designed to reduce cannabis use. Teens ages 14-17 will complete a brain scan and then take part in 10 weekly virtual sessions where they report cannabis use and complete drug tests at home. Participants can earn prizes for staying cannabis-free.

Hybrid Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Veterans to Further Reduce Emotion Regulation Problems and Trauma Symptoms

Around 10% of post-active veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) many years post-mission. PTSD in veterans is frequently associated with challenges in emotion regulation, aggression, suicidality, and financial and psychosocial stress. In 2018, a 12-week clinical treatment programme, the Veterans Intensive Treatment Unit (VIBU), was developed for veterans experiencing these psychiatric symptoms, for whom conventional treatments had proven ineffective. The VIBU provides patients with trauma-focused and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). A recent study revealed that the VIBU was effective in reducing psychiatric symptoms. However, a recurrence of symptoms was observed in patients a few months after discharge. Consequently, an aftercare programme consisting of hybrid DBT is offered to consolidate and repeat the DBT skills and apply them in daily life.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients Referred to a Substance Abuse Liaison Department in an Academic Hospital, France

The Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies (CPE) stressed in 2016 that emergency providers were increasingly recognizing the important role of the Emergency Department (ED) in reducing adverse outcomes associated with untreated with substance abuse liaison department (SUDs). Additional research is required to close identified knowledge gaps and improve care of ED patients with SUD. Of the more than 4.5 million ED visits in 2009 in US for drug-related causes,34-32% involved alcohol use alone or in combination with other drugs. Few studies investigated the clinical characteristics of patients referred to an addiction liaison department in a general hospital. The present study will be retrospective in a sample of 700 patients consecutively admitted for addictive behaviors in the emergency department and in the Medicine or Surgery departments of the Amiens University Hospital Center, France.

Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Expectant Mothers

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of treating opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnant women with extended-release buprenorphine (BUP-XR), compared to sublingual buprenorphine (BUP-SL), on mother and infant outcomes. The primary hypothesis is that the BUP-XR group will not have greater illicit opioid use than the BUP-SL group during pregnancy (non-inferiority).

Senyo Health With Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Primary Care

The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers, facilitators, and optimal processes for implementing a digitally enhanced screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) model for Substance Use Disorder SUD treatment among Mayo primary care clinics.

Comparison of the Italian and U.S. Forensic Models for Dual-diagnosis Offenders: a 3-year Longitudinal Study

This study aims to compare the Italian and U.S. forensic models in the treatment of offenders with dual diagnosis through a three-year longitudinal design. In Italy, the closure of Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals following Law 81/2014 led to the establishment of a community-based forensic system centered on REMS (Residences for the Execution of Security Measures), integrated within the National Health Service. This model seeks to limit institutionalization and promote rehabilitative pathways in community settings. However, it continues to face challenges related to limited bed availability, waiting lists, and the complex management of social dangerousness. In contrast, the U.S. system, particularly in California, is characterized by high-security forensic psychiatric hospitals with large capacities, but also presents issues such as prolonged hospitalizations, an aging patient population, and a high prevalence of substance use disorders. Dual diagnosis, defined as the co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders, is highly prevalent in forensic populations and is associated with increased clinical complexity, higher risk of recidivism, and poorer treatment outcomes. Neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying addiction-including dysfunctions in the dopaminergic reward system, craving processes, and impairments in executive functioning-contribute to reduced behavioral control and increased impulsivity. Theoretical models such as the self-medication hypothesis and multifactorial frameworks suggest that substance use may both exacerbate psychiatric symptoms and represent an attempt to regulate them. Given these complexities, integrated treatment approaches that combine psychiatric care and addiction interventions are essential, particularly in forensic settings. The present study includes offenders with mental illness in forensic care systems in Italy and California, encompassing both custodial and non-custodial settings. Participants will be followed over a three-year period, with assessments conducted at 12, 24, and 36 months. The methodology involves the use of standardized instruments to evaluate psychopathological severity, global functioning, risk of violent recidivism, protective factors, treatment adherence, impulsivity, and substance use. Data on clinical outcomes, antisocial behaviors, and discharge conditions will also be collected. The primary objectives of the study are to describe and compare the clinical, demographic, and criminological profiles of forensic populations with dual diagnosis; to examine treatment pathways and outcomes; to identify indicators of treatment effectiveness; and to evaluate both risk and protective prognostic factors, as well as their predictive value for recidivism and clinical trajectories. The expected impact of the study lies in improving the understanding of differences between community-based and hospital-based forensic models, with the goal of identifying integrated strategies capable of enhancing rehabilitation, reducing recidivism, and improving long-term outcomes. Findings may contribute to the development of more effective and individualized treatment approaches, as well as inform health and judicial policies aimed at better integrating clinical care and risk management in dual diagnosis forensic populations.

The STop UNhealthy Substance Use Now Trial

The STop UNhealthy (STUN) Substance Use Now Trial (STUN II) is a multisite trial aiming to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the following strategies for improving the implementation of screening and interventions for substance use disorders in primary care: practice facilitation (PF), PF plus a learning collaborative (LC), PF plus performance incentives (PI), and PF+LC+PI. We plan to enroll 144 clinic staff participants from 48 primary care practices

Data2Action Oregon Project: Supporting Data-driven Decision-Making for Substance Use Services, Policy, and Overdose Prevention

Oregon's decision makers (e.g., community service providers, public health, justice, advocacy groups, payers) are calling for comprehensive, current, and trusted data to inform how they allocate resources to improve substance use services and mitigate the growing opioid and methamphetamine epidemics in their state. Consistent with the HEAL Data2Action call for Innovation projects that drive action with data in real-world settings, this study will refine and test the impact of a novel implementation strategy to engage cross- sector decision makers and make data that they identify as relevant to their decisions available to them in easy- to-use products. The proposed study aims to not only address critical knowledge gaps regarding how and when data can inform impactful, transparent decision-making, but to provide decision makers with the data that they need to achieve community-wide substance use prevention and treatment goals, including the increased delivery of high-quality, evidence-informed, services and the prevention of overdoses.

Feasibility of Long-term, High-dose Stimulant for Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is becoming an increasing public health concern in Canada. While the evidence on the efficacy and safety of prescription psychostimulants for the treatment of MUD is promising, the knowledge on the maintenance therapy using stimulant agonist therapy is scarce and needs further investigation, especially in terms of long-term retention in treatment. The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility of a long-term (25 weeks) administration of high-dose stimulant agonist therapy, using Lisdexamfetamine (LDX-01) on top of treatment-as-usual (TAU), in a population of people with moderate to severe MUD, as measured by study retention, treatment retention, treatment adherence and satisfaction compared against a placebo group. Participants will be placed randomly into one of two groups: 1. TAU and high-dose LDX-01 2. TAU and placebo

Exploring Substance Use, Sleep Disturbances and Reward Sensitivity

According to foreign medical studies, substance use is closely related to reward sensitivity and sleep patterns. The purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between these three factors, which will help improve medical treatment and overall care for substance misuse in the future. Participants will be randomized into CBTi and sleep education groups, and their substance/ alcohol use, sleep parameters and reward sensitivity will be measured at multiple time points.