Personalized Feedback Treatment for Veterans with Substance Use Disorder and Related Conditions

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying substance use disorders SUDs in Veterans, focusing on understanding what triggers substance use, urges, and related mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The study aims to create personalized models for each individual showing these connections and to see if sharing these personal models with clinical feedback can improve substance use and related symptoms. This research will help uncover common causes of substance use and recovery among Veterans with SUDs and other mental health conditions. Participants will complete a personalized 4-week ecological momentary assessment EMA, reporting their substance use and related symptoms multiple times daily using a smartphone or similar device. Veterans will be randomly assigned to either receive their personal causal model and a one-hour clinical feedback session or to a control group that does not receive feedback during the study. The intervention group may also receive follow-up reminders reinforcing key insights from their models. After the study, control group participants can choose to receive their personal model. Throughout the study, researchers will assess substance use and related problems at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the intervention period, along with symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Participants in the intervention group may provide feedback about how helpful and relevant the personal models and feedback sessions were. The study will last several months, with ongoing evaluations to understand the clinical impact of personalized feedback on substance use and mental health outcomes in Veterans.

Personalized Approach to Healthy Use and Recovery (PATH) Trial