NCT03954535

Preventing Drug Abuse Among Sexual Minority Youth

Completed NA Results posted Last updated 26 August 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Free2b in Substance Abuse in 1,216 participants. Completed in 30 March 2024.

Timeline

15 January 2020

Primary endpoint
30 March 2024

30 March 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Columbia University
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	prevention
Enrollment	1,216
Start date	15 January 2020
Primary completion	30 March 2024
Estimated completion	30 March 2024
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Free2b
• Attention-Placebo

Conditions studied

• Substance Abuse — all drugs for Substance Abuse →

Sponsor

Columbia University

Who can join

Adults 15 to 17, any sex, with Substance Abuse. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Average Number of Times Youth Drank Alcohol in the Past Month Primary · an average of 5 months from study onset

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.83	± 2.12
Attention-Placebo Control	1.03	± 2.26

Average Number of Times Youth Drank Alcohol in the Past Month Primary · 1-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	1.22	± 2.49
Attention-Placebo Control	1.37	± 2.64

Average Number of Times Youth Drank Alcohol in the Past Month Primary · 2-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	1.93	± 3.91
Attention-Placebo Control	2.30	± 4.74

Average Number of Times Youth Drank Alcohol in the Past Month Primary · 3-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	2.49	± 4.86
Attention-Placebo Control	2.67	± 5.72

Average Number of Times Youth Binge Drank in the Past Month Primary · an average of 5 months from study onset

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.18	± 0.88
Attention-Placebo Control	0.25	± 0.97

Average Number of Times Youth Binge Drank in the Past Month Primary · 1-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.35	± 1.05
Attention-Placebo Control	0.32	± 0.97

Average Number of Times Youth Binge Drank in the Past Month Primary · 2-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.50	± 1.38
Attention-Placebo Control	0.59	± 1.60

Average Number of Times Youth Binge Drank in the Past Month Primary · 3-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.65	± 1.64
Attention-Placebo Control	0.78	± 2.41

Average Number of Times Youth Smoked Cigarettes in the Past Month Primary · an average of 5 months from study onset

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.31	± 3.23
Attention-Placebo Control	0.39	± 4.29

Average Number of Times Youth Smoked Cigarettes in the Past Month Primary · 1-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.50	± 4.11
Attention-Placebo Control	0.48	± 3.74

Average Number of Times Youth Smoked Cigarettes in the Past Month Primary · 2-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.70	± 5.23
Attention-Placebo Control	0.79	± 5.67

Average Number of Times Youth Smoked Cigarettes in the Past Month Primary · 3-year follow-up

Participants will be asked to report the numbers of times they have used the substance in the past month.

Group	Value	95% CI
Intervention	0.76	± 5.27
Attention-Placebo Control	1.05	± 6.61

Sponsor's own description

The planned randomized clinical trial will longitudinally test a tailored, web-based drug abuse prevention program with a nationwide sample of 15- to 17-year-old sexual minority youth (youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or unsure of their sexual orientation).

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Screening and Retaining Adolescents Recruited Through Social Media: Secondary Analysis from a Longitudinal Clinical Trial.
   Weisblum M, Trussell E, Schwinn T, Pacheco AR, et al · · 2024 · cited 2× · PMID 38416559 · DOI 10.2196/47984