This study proposes to use quetiapine as an adjunct treatment to treatment as usual to improve both substance use disorder (SUD) and mood symptoms in youth with SUD and severe mood dysregulation (SMD). This is a randomized, double blind placebo controlled parallel design study. Youth with symptoms of mood dysregulation and active substance use that meets criteria for a SUD will be randomized to adjunct treatment with quetiapine or placebo. The investigators hypothesize that treatment with quetiapine will lead to a reduction in substance use, improvement in mood, and lead to greater engagement in outpatient treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
24
Participants will be randomly assigned Quetiapine and will be titrated to the maximum daily dose over three weeks and then enter a dose maintenance phase for weeks 4 through 8 of the study.
Participants will be randomly assigned to placebo and will be titrated to the maximum daily dose over three weeks and then enter a dose maintenance phase for weeks 4 through 8 of the study.
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Change in Timeline Followback of Substance Use (TLFB)
The TLFB is used to quantify self-reported drug of choice use during the past month. Counts the number of days with substance use in the past 28 days.
Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks
Change in Symptoms of Mania
Symptoms of mania will be assessed using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The YMRS consists of 11 items rated on a scale. Each item is composed of 5 explicitly defined levels of severity. Severity ratings for 7 items are scored on a scale of 0 -4. The remaining 4 items are double weighted to account for poor cooperation of client when unwell and are scored on a scale of 0 - 8. Item ratings are sum to produce a total YMRS score between 0 -60. Higher scores on the YMRS indicate greater symptoms of mania.
Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks
Change in the Number of Negative Urine Toxicology Specimens
Urine toxicology specimens for the participant's drug of choice assessed as positive or negative. For each participant, the proportion of urine toxicology specimens that are negative over the course of the trial are calculated as the number of negative specimens divided by the total number of specimens collected from week 1 until study endpoint.
Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks
Change in Craving for the Substance That the Participant Identifies as Most Problematic
Craving will be measured by the Weiss Craving Scale. This scale consists of 3 items rated on a scale from 0 (no desire/likelihood of use) to 9 (strong desire/likelihood of use). The total Weiss Craving Scale score ranges from 0 to 27. Higher scores on the Weiss Craving Scale indicate greater cravings for a substance.
Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks
Change in Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms of depression will be assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) scale. The BDI-II consists of 21 items rated on a scale from 0 (symptoms not present) to 3 (symptoms extremely severe). Total scores on the BDI-II range from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate greater symptoms of depression.
Time frame: baseline, 8 weeks
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