People have the best chance of recovery from drug dependence when they stay in treatment and use the appropriate services recommended. However, some people find it hard to complete their treatment programs. The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network is doing a study called Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) to test ways to help people prepare to make changes that will support their recovery.

You are being invited to take part in this study to help find out how therapists can best assist people who are working toward recovery. Your participation is entirely voluntary. If you choose not to take part, your treatment will not be affected in any way.

The study compares how well people do when they receive individual sessions of Motivational Enhancement Therapy or individual sessions of Standard Therapy at this clinic during the first three weeks of treatment. If you join the study, you will be assigned to get either:

• Three individual sessions of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) in addition to whatever standard treatment is recommended for you.
  
  During the first three weeks of treatment, your therapist will use certain procedures intended to help motivate and focus on plans for changing drug use.

• Three individual sessions of Standard Therapy Alone. This refers to the usual therapy services offered by your treatment provider

If You Decide to Join

An intake counselor or study coordinator will need to get your written permission in order for you to join the study. You will need to review and sign an informed consent form. You are encouraged to ask as many questions as you want to help you decide whether or not to participate.

If you decide to participate in the study, here is what you can expect:

1. You will be assigned at random (for example, by the flip of a coin) to receive either MET or Standard Therapy (that means you canÍt choose which one you will get). If you decide to join this study you must be willing to accept the therapy that you are assigned.

2. In order to be sure that you are being given the therapy you were assigned, your sessions will be audiotaped (tape-recorded). The purpose of audiotaping is so that an expert reviewer can make sure your therapist uses the right techniques for your therapy. Your identity will be kept confidential; the tapes will be labeled only with a number assigned to you and your full name will never be mentioned on the tape. The tapes will be kept in a locked, secure location and will be erased at the end of the study.

3. You will meet with a research assistant every week for 4 weeks to answer some questions about your drug use and to give a urine and breath sample. The urine sample will be tested for opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, and benzodiazepines. The breath sample will be tested for alcohol level.

4. You will also need to return to the clinic 1 and 3 months after starting the study for a follow-up interview and to give a urine and breath sample.

5. All of the information that you give us, including urine test results, will be kept confidential. The staff will explain the details of confidentiality to you.

Questions about the study

These are the answers to some questions about the study that may help you decide if you would like to take part in the study.

1. How long will I be in the study?

The study will include three weekly individual sessions with either MET or Standard Treatment, four weekly data collection interviews, and follow-up interviews at 1 and 3 months after admission. Therefore, you will be in the study for a total of 3 months.

2. How many people will be taking part in the study?

About 600 people across the United States will take part in the study.

3. What will I have to do during the study?

You will not have to do much more than if you decide not to take part in the study.

• Go to your MET counseling sessions in addition to other treatment services that you will receive

• Fill out questionnaires and give urine and breath samples at certain times

• Return for study follow-up visits

• Contact the clinic if you have any problems between visits

4. Can women who are pregnant or able to have children join the study?

Yes. There are no known side effects of these treatments on the health of pregnant women and unborn children.

5. What happens at study follow-up visits?

Study visits include:

• Questions about your health and how you are feeling

• Questions about drugs you are taking

• Questions about how you are doing in different areas of your life (for example, family/social, legal, employment areas)

  The study follow-up visits will take about one hour each to finish.

6. What will I get for taking part in the study?

The therapies used in this study are designed to help you reach your recovery goals. Information from this study may help others in the future. You will receive up to $70 for doing follow-up interviews.

7. Will I have any bad effects from taking part in the study?

There are no known negative effects from the therapies used in this study.

For more information on the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network, visit the NIDA website at www.drugabuse.gov.

For information on other clinical trials, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created a website to help patients, family members, and the general public obtain information about government sponsored clinical trials. You may log on to www.Clinicaltrials.gov to learn about ongoing or new trials for all types of health related conditions. The descriptions for individual trials include eligibility criteria, purpose of the trial, location, and how to apply if interested. The website is maintained and updated regularly by the National Library of Medicin.