German Clinical Trials Register

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

DELTA-JU

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

The existing DELTA-program (16 group sessions, 8 1-on-1 sessions) for teenagers with problematic drug use will be adapted (DELTA-JU) for application in youth welfare institution. In order to achieve this aim, we will adapt the existing DELTA manual over 24 months and apply the resulting DELTA-JU manual in youth welfare institutions. In the first four months we will conduct interviews with n = 10 persons working in the institutions to investigate their concerns and wishes for the resulting treatment manual. In the following 20 months, we will conduct the DELTA-JU group program with n = 50 teenagers with problematic drug use. We will randomly decide which group will start immediately and which group will start after a waitlist period (16 weeks). At the same time, we will conduct 1-day workshops for personnel at the participating institutions. In the last two month we will conduct the final statistical analysis, expecting reduced tobacco smoking and reduced problems with drug use in participating teenagers.

Brief summary in scientific language

Background: The DELTA intervention contains 16 weekly group sessions plus additional individual sessions and educational session for parents. It aims to reduce substance use and related problems such as substance use disorders (SUD) in adolescents. Recent results indicated positive effects in psychiatric outpatients. Conducting DELTA in youth welfare settings seems feasible, however, organizational and content adjustments are warranted. Furthermore, elements of smoking cessation should be added to DELTA in order to reduce relapse risks and to prevent negative health consequences. This protocol describes the DELTA-JU study in which we will further develop and evaluate the DELTA. Methods/design: The DELTA-JU study is separated into three stages: In the adjustment stage during months 1-4, we will revise the DELTA manual based on expert feedback from n=10 semi-structured interviews with personnel from youth welfare institutions specialized in serving adolescents with SUD in the study region, analyzed with content analysis. In the sampling stage during months 5-22, participants will be recruited from cooperating institutions. Participants qualifying for a SUD and willing to regularly participate in the 16 weekly DELTA-JU group sessions will be enrolled to either one of two arms (cluster randomization: immediate intervention, waitlist with subsequent intervention 16 weeks later). Adolescents will be assessed twice at baseline (BL, a week before the intervention starts) and follow-up (FU, 16 weeks after first group session) with an additional pre-assessment (PRE, 16 weeks before intervention starts) for the waitlist group. Assessment procedures include questionnaires and clinical interviews amongst others. At the same time, institutional personnel will receive a one-day workshop on SUD-relevant topics based on the DELTA parental education group and on feedback from the qualitative interviews. Personnel will also be assessed twice (BL, FU) with questionnaires. In the dissemination stage during months 23-24, final study evaluation results will be prepared and submitted for publication. Discussion: This study will create a setting-specific manual (DELTA-JU) for vulnerable adolescents suffering from SUDs, and, in many cases, from co-occurring mental disorders. If shown to be effective, DELTA-JU can be disseminated within other institutions of youth welfare.