ArticleInternet interventions2019
Web-based self-help with and without chat counseling to reduce cocaine use in cocaine misusers: Results of a three-arm randomized controlled trial.
Article in Internet interventions, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digitally Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol and Other Drug Use: Meta-Analysis Across Consumption and Psychosocial Outcomes.JMIR mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of Dropout and Influencing Factors in Digital Psychosocial Intervention Trials for Adult Illicit Substance Users: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Psychosocial interventions for stimulant use disorder.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Technology-Delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Use: A Meta-Analysis.Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research · 2019Pooled it
- A specific cognitive behavioral group therapy program for stimulant use disorder.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
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Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn recent years, cocaine use has increased in many countries, but only a minority of users seek treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is seen as first-choice face-to-face treatment. However, a web-based intervention might serve as an alternative.
aimsTo test the efficacy of a web-based self-help intervention, with and without chat counseling, grounded in CBT, at reducing cocaine use in cocaine misusers not in treatment for a substance use disorder.
methodsSubjects were randomly assigned to (1) a self-help intervention with chat support, (2) a self-help intervention without chat support, or (3) a waiting list control group. The fully-automated self-help program consisted of eight modules based on motivational interviewing, self-control practices and CBT. The primary outcome was the quantity of cocaine use per week. Secondary outcomes included frequency of cocaine and other substance use and mental health symptoms. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate changes in primary and secondary outcomes.
resultsIn total, 416 users registered online for the trial, of whom 311 completed the baseline assessment. Participants were predominantly male (73%) and averaged 33 years old (SD = 7.6). Despite considerable efforts on our part, only 47 of 311 (15.1%) subjects completed the 6-month follow-up assessment. Frequency of cocaine use and severity of cocaine dependence decreased only in the intervention groups. No significant difference in the primary outcome was observed between the study arms, but several differences in secondary outcomes were observed by complete case analyses.
conclusionsMany cocaine misusers from the general population and not otherwise in treatment could be reached and decreased their cocaine use utilizing a CBT-based online intervention. However, due to the high percentage of dropouts and serious difficulties reaching subjects for follow-up assessments, no conclusions can be drawn regarding study arm differences. Implications for future studies are discussed.
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