Examining Caregiver Practices During Adolescent Outpatient Alcohol Use and Co-Occurring Mental Health Treatment: Protocol for a Dyadic Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
2024

Caregiver Practices in Adolescent Alcohol Treatment Study Protocol

Sample size: 75 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Amy Schwartz, Anne Bulow, Samuel N Meisel, Aaron Hogue, John F Kelly, Elizabeth McQuaid, Robert Miranda Jr

Primary Institution: Boston University

Hypothesis

What specific caregiving behaviors during caregiver-involved treatment for AUD+CODs contribute to improved outcomes?

Conclusion

The study aims to refine and scale caregiver-involved interventions for adolescents with alcohol use disorder and co-occurring disorders.

Supporting Evidence

  • Caregiver-involved treatments yield the best outcomes for adolescents with alcohol use disorder.
  • Dynamic interactions between caregivers and adolescents can impact treatment effectiveness.
  • Ecological momentary assessment can provide real-time data on caregiving practices.

Takeaway

This study will look at how caregivers can help teens with drinking problems by checking in on them regularly and supporting them during treatment.

Methodology

The study will recruit 75 caregiver-adolescent dyads from outpatient mental health clinics and use ecological momentary assessment over 15 weeks to track caregiving practices and treatment outcomes.

Potential Biases

Potential reactivity from repeated assessments may alter caregiver and adolescent behaviors.

Limitations

The study will only include one caregiver per adolescent, which may miss important dynamics, and it may not capture all caregiving practices due to feasibility constraints.

Participant Demographics

Adolescents aged 13-18 with alcohol use disorder and their caregivers.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.2196/63399

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