Pilot study of a social network intervention for heroin users in opiate substitution treatment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundResearch indicates that 3% of people receiving opiate substitution treatment (OST) in the UK manage to achieve abstinence from all prescribed and illicit drugs within 3 years of commencing treatment, and there is concern that treatment services have become skilled at engaging people but not at helping them to enter a stage of recovery and drug abstinence. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse recommends the involvement of families and wider social networks in supporting drug users’ psychological treatment, and this pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the impact of a social network-focused intervention for patients receiving OST.Methods and designIn this two-site, early phase, randomized controlled trial, a total of 120 patients receiving OST will be recruited and randomized to receive one of three treatments: 1) Brief Social Behavior and Network Therapy (B-SBNT), 2) Personal Goal Setting (PGS) or 3) treatment as usual. Randomization will take place following baseline assessment. Participants allocated to receive B-SBNT or PGS will continue to receive the same treatment that is routinely provided by drug treatment services, plus four additional sessions of either intervention. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3 and 12 months. The primary outcome will be assessment of illicit heroin use, measured by both urinary analysis and self-report. Secondary outcomes involve assessment of dependence, psychological symptoms, social satisfaction, motivation to change, quality of life and therapeutic engagement. Family members (n = 120) of patients involved in the trial will also be assessed to measure the level of symptoms, coping and the impact of the addiction problem on the family member at baseline, 3 and 12 months.DiscussionThis study will provide experimental data regarding the feasibility and efficacy of implementing a social network intervention within routine drug treatment services in the UK National Health Service. The study will explore the impact of the intervention on both patients receiving drug treatment and their family members.Trial registrationTrial Registration Number: ISRCTN22608399ISRCTN22608399 registration: 27/04/2012Date of first randomisation: 14/08/2012

Measuring Health and Broader Well-Being Benefits in the Context of Opiate Dependence: The Psychometric Performance of the ICECAP-A and the EQ-5D-5L

“…The full trial protocol can be found elsewhere [42]. The two psychological interventions were a brief adapted version of 'Social Behaviour and Network Therapy (B-SBNT)', which actively aimed to involve social network members in the process of helping participants achieve their personal goals [43,44], and 'Personal Goal Setting', which set specific goals and monitored achievement on an individual basis [45].…”

Maximizing Health or Sufficient Capability in Economic Evaluation? A Methodological Experiment of Treatment for Drug Addiction

“…Detailed information about the study design and participants can be found elsewhere [40]. In brief, this was a pilot study with a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised parallel group design comparing two active psychological interventions, offered as adjunct to usual care, with usual care.…”

Individual variation in the attribution of incentive salience to social cues

“…One of the most effective psychotherapies for addiction is coping and social skills training CSST), which teaches social strategies for navigating social interactions, addressing interpersonal problems, and managing craving in response to social/drug-related contexts and cues (Monti and O'Leary, 1999). In addition, new behavioral interventions for addicted patients are centered around social networks (Day et al, 2013), which are an important modulator of drug use and relapse (Mundt, 2011) preference for the context test. Approach to the star-cue was calculated to measure sign-tracking for the cue test.…”