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Behavioral Intervention

Cannabis Abstinence (CB-Abst) for Depression

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Randi M Schuster, PhD
Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
* Ages 12-18;
* Current daily or near daily cannabis use (i.e., use ≥ 4 days per week on average; Timeline Followback);
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up weeks 1 - 3, week 10 (ema phase 2-3; randomized withdrawal then sustained abstinence)
Awards & highlights

Summary

The goal of this study is to disentangle relationships between acute cannabis use and withdrawal on proximal depression and suicide risk and recovery in adolescents ages 12-18 years by incorporating time-varying patterns of substance use, mood, and SI. This project aims to guide the development of scalable, individualized, accessible, and affordable interventions aimed to reduce depression and suicide risk among adolescents.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adolescents aged 12-18 who experience depression or suicidal thoughts and use cannabis. It aims to understand how cannabis affects their mood and risk of suicide, with the goal of creating better interventions.
What is being tested?
The study tests a strategy called 'contingency management' which rewards individuals for abstaining from cannabis use, to see if it helps reduce depression and suicidal thoughts in youth.
What are the potential side effects?
Since this trial involves behavioral intervention rather than medication, there are no direct side effects like those seen with drugs. However, participants may experience changes in mood or behavior.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

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

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~weeks 1 - 3, week 10 (ema phase 2-3; randomized withdrawal then sustained abstinence)
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and weeks 1 - 3, week 10 (ema phase 2-3; randomized withdrawal then sustained abstinence) for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Aim 1: Cannabis use in the last hour
Aim 1: Motivation to use cannabis to improve mood collected
Aim 2: Depleted mood
+5 more

Trial Design

3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Cannabis Abstinence (CB-Abst)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Those randomized to the abstinence condition will be asked to stop using cannabis for eight weeks. They will participate in a contingency management protocol, which uses an escalating remuneration schedule to incentivize abstinence. Abstinence is confirmed biochemically via progressively decreasing values of creatinine-adjusted THCCOOH.
Group II: Cannabis Monitoring (CB-Mon)Active Control1 Intervention
Those randomized to the monitoring condition will be asked to make no changes to their cannabis use frequency or dose for the duration of the eight week study.
Group III: Pre-intervention Pooled Groups (EMA Phase 1 Only)Active Control1 Intervention
All enrolled participants will participate in approximately two weeks of EMA data collection prior to being randomized and starting intervention procedures to characterize mood during baseline use as usual (CB-Abst or CB-Mon).

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Massachusetts General HospitalLead Sponsor
2,959 Previous Clinical Trials
13,215,199 Total Patients Enrolled
187 Trials studying Depression
32,369 Patients Enrolled for Depression
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)NIH
2,506 Previous Clinical Trials
2,625,763 Total Patients Enrolled
39 Trials studying Depression
62,593 Patients Enrolled for Depression
Randi M Schuster, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorMassachusetts General Hospital
4 Previous Clinical Trials
19,407 Total Patients Enrolled
~133 spots leftby Dec 2028
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