A new, internet-based relapse prevention program used to supplement traditional outpatient substance abuse treatment appears to motivate young addicts, found a new study. The program, “Navigating my Journey,” included 12 core lessons delivered over three months. Each lesson was designed to teach evidence-based relapse prevention skills and was accompanied by short video clips of young adults sharing true stories about their personal challenges and successes. The randomized controlled trial of 129 participants ages 13 to 23 included an intervention group who received the online coaching and a control group who viewed wellness articles at their discretion. Participants were recruited through a job corps program in California. Researchers collected data from participants four times: at the start of the study, one month in, three months in and after six months. The researchers used a linear mixed modeling approach to look for difference in the participants. When they compared participant responses, the researchers found that the young people who used the program reported a significantly greater increase in motivation to reduce use of drugs or not misuse drugs at both the three-month and six-month intervals, compared to the control group. Participants in the program also reported less drug use at three months compared to their peers who didn’t use the online program. When the researchers looked at results based on age, they concluded that the intervention may be more effective for older adolescents and young adults.
Take away: Those working with young adults in the outpatient substance abuse setting might employ this online program, or a similar effort, to increase the likelihood that those who abuse drugs and/or alcohol will be more likely to stick with efforts to stop or curtail their use.