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Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: Substance use disorders are considered a chronic relapsing condition. As such, relapse rates are significant and particularly so for adolescent populations. Mobile technologies such as cellular phones are used widely in the United States. Cellular phones are promising communication devices for sending motivational text messages in order to support sobriety. Furthermore, the technological capability for providing secure and confidential text messaging has advanced. The research questions are: (1) Does motivational text messaging reduce relapse rates among adolescents in the experimental group as compared to the control group?, and (2) Are there preferable types of messages that youth like to receive (e.g., researcher versus youth developed)?
Methods: The investigator is recruiting adolescents from substance abuse treatment programs to participate in one of three groups. These groups are: (1) adolescents receive preselected motivational text messages (e.g., researcher developed) (n=30), (2) adolescents receive personally created motivational messages (n=30), and (3) control group that receives an unrelated text message (n=30). Adolescents are administered informed assent approved by the ASU Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a pre-intervention survey. All groups receive daily text messages.
Results: This study is currently in progress. An overview of the methodological design and preliminary results will be available and presented in August.
Conclusions: The literature is limited in terms of studies testing text messaging among adolescents in substance abuse treatment. This study helps to fill this gap for other investigators and treatment providers.
Implications for research and/or practice: This study provides researchers with new concepts and knowledge that will influence other studies. This research also provides treatment providers with innovative uses of mobile technolgies to reduce relapse rates.