Comparing Brief Motivational Interviewing With or Without Smartphone Mindfulness Training to Reduce Alcohol Use in Adolescents in Pediatric Primary Care

What this Trial Is About

Alcohol use is common among U.S. adolescents and contributes to negative health effects. This research compares two approaches to help reduce alcohol use in adolescents receiving care in pediatric primary care clinics. It evaluates a brief motivational interviewing-based alcohol intervention BMAI alone versus the same intervention combined with smartphone app-delivered mindfulness training MT. The study aims to assess effectiveness, implementation factors, and how different patient characteristics influence results over one year. Participants receive either BMAI delivered in person by trained pediatric clinicians during routine visits or BMAI plus 8 weeks of mindfulness training using the Healthy Minds Program app. BMAI involves feedback, advice, and goal setting to support behavior change, with sessions lasting 10-30 minutes initially and shorter follow-ups. The mindfulness app provides self-guided training focusing on breath and body awareness, emotion noting, and daily mindfulness practice, with suggested use of 5-30 minutes daily. During the study, participants complete assessments of alcohol use, related problems, and intervention satisfaction at multiple time points up to 12 months. Researchers collect reports from adolescents, caregivers, and providers about experiences and barriers. Outcome measures include alcohol use frequency, heavy drinking days, cannabis and tobacco use, alcohol-related consequences, quality of life, and emergency health service use. The study monitors implementation and participant engagement to understand which components work best for different youth.

Brief Motivational Interviewing +/- Mindfulness Training for Adolescent Alcohol Use in Pediatric Primary Care