Personalizing Treatment Delivery

Purpose

Anxiety and anxiety-related disorders frequently co-occur with alcohol use problems resulting in an enormous humanitarian and economic cost to society. The proposed research will use digital technology to examine person-specific risk factors predicting problematic alcohol use in individuals vulnerable to anxiety and anxiety-related disorders and will use this information to design a personalized intervention for individuals seeking psychological treatment. Results from this research will integrate output from novel and innovative digital technology methods into psychotherapy, advancing research on personalized treatment and prevention efforts.

Conditions

  • Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms
  • PTSD and Trauma-related Symptoms
  • Alcohol; Use, Problem; Alcohol Use Disorder

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 65 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Access to a smart phone - Between 18 and 65 years - Clinically significant anxiety or trauma-related symptoms - Alcohol use problems - Interest in telehealth counseling - Anticipated New Jersey or New York residence for the duration of the study

Exclusion Criteria

  • Currently receiving counseling - Psychiatric medication that is not currently at a stable dose (or is not anticipated to remain at a stable dose for the duration of the study) - Demonstrated indicators of more intensive or acute care - Temporary residence within the state of New Jersey or New York or out-of-state residence from the state of New Jersey or New York

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Personalized intervention condition 		This experimental condition will test a data-driven, person-specific intervention using CBT skills.
  • Behavioral: Personalized intervention condition: Cognitive behavioral therapy skills
    An 11-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills based intervention will be delivered to participants randomized to the personalized intervention. Influential constructs will be identified using the person specific digital phenotyping model, targeted using CBT skills, and tracked across sessions.
Active Comparator
Therapeutic control condition 		This control condition will provide an experimental comparison to test the process of personalization.
  • Behavioral: Therapeutic control condition: Cognitive behavioral therapy skills
    Participants randomized to this condition will receive an 11-session CBT skills based treatment targeting a non-personalized construct selected from the person-specific digital phenotyping model.
Active Comparator
Tracking control condition 		This second control condition will provide an experimental comparison to test the effects of health-related tracking and therapeutic contact.
  • Behavioral: Tracking control condition: Supportive counseling
    Participants randomized to this condition will receive 11 supportive counseling sessions that are non-directive in nature (providing support and validation for non-acute weekly stressors). Participants will continue digital phenotyping, controlling for the effect of counseling and digital phenotyping.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Study Contact

Marilyn Piccirillo, PhD
732-235-4341
marilyn.piccirillo@rutgers.edu

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