Fathers for Change vs. Individual Drug Counseling for Substance Abuse

Phase 2

Waitlist Available

Led By Carla S Stover, Ph.D.

Research Sponsored by Yale University

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Have at least one biological child aged 1 to 12 years with whom they live or have at least twice per month in-person visits

Be older than 18 years old

Must not have

Current untreated psychotic/bipolar disorder

Currently receiving weekly individual therapy for Substance misuse or family violence

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up baseline (week 0), weekly during treatment for through 18 week, post-treatment at week 19, week 32 and week 45

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will compare the effectiveness of a program called Fathers for Change (F4C) to Individual Drug Counseling (IDC) in helping 280 fathers who are receiving treatment for substance use. The

Who is the study for?

This trial is for fathers who are receiving treatment for substance misuse within community or VA healthcare settings and have a history of family violence. They should be willing to participate in follow-up assessments after the treatment ends.

What is being tested?

The study compares two approaches: Fathers for Change (F4C), which focuses on improving relationships and emotion regulation, against Individual Drug Counseling (IDC) that targets substance use directly. The goal is to see which method better reduces substance abuse and family violence.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves counseling methods rather than medication, typical medical side effects are not expected. Participants may experience emotional discomfort discussing personal issues during therapy sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I have a child aged 1-12 years I see regularly.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I do not have untreated psychotic or bipolar disorder.

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I am in weekly therapy for substance misuse or family violence.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ baseline (week 0), weekly during treatment for through 18 week, post-treatment at week 19, week 32 and week 45

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~baseline (week 0), weekly during treatment for through 18 week, post-treatment at week 19, week 32 and week 45

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and baseline (week 0), weekly during treatment for through 18 week, post-treatment at week 19, week 32 and week 45 for reporting.