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Background: Drug use is an established risk factor for HIV. Brief Interventions (BIs) targeting reductions in both drug use and HIV risk behaviors may help curtail these related epidemics. The present study evaluates the impact of BIs for drug use and HIV risk reduction on sexual HIV risk behaviors among a primarily marijuana-using sample during a 12-month post-intervention follow-up period.Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 780 adult patients in an Emergency Department (ED) with past 3-month drug use (primarily non-injecting). This study used a 3 × 2 factorial design (3 ED-based conditions: computer-delivered brief intervention [Computer BI], therapist-delivered, computer-guided BI [Therapist BI], or enhanced usual care (EUC-ED) for drug-using adults; 2 follow-up conditions at 3 months: booster or control). This analysis examines the outcomes of the BIs on sexual HIV risk behaviors at 3-, 6-, and 12-months.Results: Compared to the enhanced usual care control, the combined Therapist BI with booster resulted in significant reductions in scores on the sexual risk subscale of the HIV Risk Taking Behaviour Scale over 12-months, when controlling for baseline sexual risk, gender, and drug dependency status. The baseline interventions alone, booster alone, and Computer BI plus booster did not differ from the comparison group (EUC plus control).Conclusions: A therapist-delivered BI for drug use and HIV risk behaviors, combined with a follow-up therapist-delivered booster, shows promise for reducing sexual HIV risk behaviors among a primarily marijuana using, non-injecting sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: QUIT is the only primary care-based brief intervention that has previously shown efficacy for reducing risky drug use in the United States (Gelberg et al., 2015). This pilot study replicated the QUIT protocol in one of the five original QUIT clinics primarily serving Latinos.Design: Single-blind, two-arm, randomized controlled trial of patients enrolled from March-October 2013 with 3-month follow-up.Setting: Primary care waiting room of a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in East Los Angeles.Participants: Adult patients with risky drug use (4-26 on the computerized WHO ASSIST): 65 patients (32 intervention, 33 control); 51 (78%) completed follow-up; mean age 30.8 years; 59% male; 94% Latino.Interventions and Measures: Intervention patients received: 1) brief (typically 3-4 minutes) clinician advice to quit/reduce their risky drug use, 2) video doctor message reinforcing the clinician's advice, 3) health education booklet, and 4) up to two 20-30 minute follow-up telephone drug use reduction coaching sessions. Control patients received usual care and cancer screening information. Primary outcome was reduction in number of days of drug use in past 30days of the highest scoring drug (HSD) on the baseline ASSIST, from baseline to 3-month follow-up.Results: Controls reported unchanged HSD use between baseline and 3-month follow-up whereas Intervention patients reported reducing their use by 40% (p<0.001). In an intent-to-treat linear regression analysis, intervention patients reduced past month HSD use by 4.5 more days than controls (p<0.042, 95% CI: 0.2, 8.7). Similar significant results were found using a complete sample regression analysis: 5.2 days (p<0.03, 95% CI: 0.5, 9.9). Additionally, on logistic regression analysis of test results from 47 urine samples at follow-up, intervention patients were less likely than controls to test HSD positive (p<0.05; OR: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.99).Conclusions: Findings support the efficacy of the QUIT brief intervention for reducing risky drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The Czech Unplugged Study, inspired by the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial, is a prospective, school-based, randomized controlled prevention trial designed to reduce the risk of alcohol, tobacco, inhalant, and illegal drug use in 6th graders in the Czech Republic. The intervention uses the comprehensive social influence model to affect alcohol and drug using norms among primary school students. Methods: Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were used to assess differences between the experimental and control groups on demographic characteristics and study outcomes. Multilevel techniques were used to take the hierarchical structure of the data into account. Prevalence odds ratios using the Bonferroni correction were calculated to assess the differences between the experimental (N =914) and control (N =839) groups on each outcome 1, 3, 12, 15, and 24 months after the end of the intervention. Results: Multilevel analysis using the Bonferroni correction showed statistically significant intervention effects at the final follow-up for any smoking (OR=0.75, 99.2% CI 0.65–0.87), daily smoking (OR=0.62, 99.2% CI 0.48–0.79), heavy smoking (OR=0.48, 99.2% CI 0.28–0.81), any cannabis use (OR=0.57 99.2% CI 0.42–0.77), frequent cannabis use (OR=0.57, 99.2% CI 0.36–0.89), and any drug use (OR=0.78, 99.2% CI 0.65–0.94). Conclusions: This study adds new evidence on the effectiveness of the Unplugged school-based prevention program for primary school students in the Czech Republic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: This study implemented and evaluated procedures to help clinicians make effective referrals to 12-step self-help groups (SHGs). Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) entering a new outpatient treatment episode (N =345; 96% had previous SUD treatment) were randomly assigned to a standard referral or an intensive referral-to-self-help condition and provided self-reports of 12-step group attendance and involvement and substance use at baseline and at six-month and one-year follow-ups (93%). In standard referral, patients received a schedule for local 12-step SHG meetings and were encouraged to attend. Intensive referral had the key elements of counselors linking patients to 12-step volunteers and using 12-step journals to check on meeting attendance. Results: Compared with patients who received standard referral, patients who received intensive referral were more likely to attend and be involved with 12-step groups during both the first and second six-month follow-up periods, and improved more on alcohol and drug use outcomes over the year. Specifically, during both follow-up periods, patients in intensive referral were more likely to attend at least one meeting per week (70% versus 61%, p =.049) and had higher SHG involvement (mean=4.9 versus 3.7, p =.021) and abstinence rates (51% versus 41%, p =.048). Twelve-step involvement mediated the association between referral condition and alcohol and drug outcomes, and was associated with better outcomes above and beyond group attendance. Conclusions: The intensive referral intervention was associated with improved 12-step group attendance and involvement and substance use outcomes. To most benefit patients, SUD treatment providers should focus 12-step referral procedures on encouraging broad 12-step group involvement, such as reading 12-step literature, doing service at meetings, and gaining self-identity as a SHG member. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]