Evaluations

• Real-time, contextual intervention using mobile technology to reduce marijuana use among youth: A pilot study.

  Shrier LA, Rhoads A, Burke P, Walls C, Blood EA. Addictive Behaviors. 2014. 39: 173-180. PMID: 24139665.

  Summary: This pilot study was completed with adolescents who were using cannabis three or more times per week and attending a primary care clinic in a pediatric hospital. All 27 participants were given the MOMENT intervention. Participants were assessed, and then attended two hour-long motivational enhancement therapy (MET) sessions with a counselor. At these sessions, participants discussed their cannabis use and listed their top three triggers for use. After attending both sessions, each adolescent received a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with the MOMENT program. Participants had access to the program for two weeks. The MOMENT program assessed each participant’s cannabis use daily via ecological momentary assessment. Four to six times per day, participants were signaled to complete reports by an auditory cue emitted from the PDA device. At this time, participants were asked about their current cravings for cannabis, location, affective state, social environment, and use of cannabis since the last momentary assessment. When participants reported a current trigger, such as being with a friend or being in a negative mood, the program sent messages with coping strategies to support decreased use. Participants were assessed at baseline and three months. At three months, participants had decreased desire to use cannabis when exposed to triggers. The percent of daily ecological momentary reports followed by cannabis use decreased from approximately 34% to 20%. No statistically significant changes in daily use or percent days abstinent were detected.

  Take Away: For adolescents who heavily use cannabis, the MOMENT assessment may assist in decreasing use during triggering situations.