STAGE-12: A combined group/individual TSF intervention to treat stimulant abuse.
Stimulant use and abuse is a growing problem for which effective treatments are rare. This presentation describes the impact of a combined group/individual Twelve-Facilitation intervention, Stimulant Abuser Groups to Engage in 12-Step (STAGE-12), on the drug use of individuals with stimulant use disorders.
The clinical trial revealed mixed, albeit promising, results. Specifically, STAGE-12 increases the probability of abstinence from stimulants during active treatment. However, if abstinence is not achieved during treatment, then STAGE-12 participants appear to use stimulants at higher rates. STAGE-12 participation is also associated with significantly lower ASI Drug Composite scores at 3-month follow-up and greater changes in this measure from baseline to 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, at different periods during and following the active treatment phase, STAGE-12 is associated with greater number of days of 12-step self-help meeting attendance, greater number of other 12-step activities engaged in, and higher maximum number of days of duties performed at meetings. In addition, when comparing those who completed a threshold amount of the STAGE-12 intervention to those who did not, the completers have: higher odds of abstinence from, and lower rates of, stimulant and non-stimulant drug use; lower probabilities of stimulant positive urines; and greater odds of attending and higher rates (days) of attending 12-step self-help groups, number of types of other activities engaged in during 30 day assessment windows, and maximum number of days of self-reported duties at meetings.
Throughout the trial, the STAGE-12 intervention proved very popular with both staff and clients at the 10 participating sites. In fact, many sites were eager to implement it program-wide even before the follow-up period had been completed. This presentation concludes by discussing the manner in which the STAGE-12 intervention has begun to be implemented and adopted across the study programs and its impact on practice.
Related protocols: CTN-0031