The study evaluates the use of implementation intentions to increase self-efficacy and reduce injecting risk behaviour in a sample of injecting drug users on treatment for hepatitis C (HCV). The overall aim is to reduce HCV reinfection rates. The primary objective is to identify lower injecting risk behaviour scores in patients on treatment for hepatitis C receiving the psychosocial intervention compared to the same patient group assigned to the control group.
The intervention will entail completing a volitional help sheet.This will create implementation intentions, which are self-regulatory strategies taking the form of "if-then" plans (i.e. situation-solution plan). Injecting risk behaviour scores and self-efficacy scores will be analysed for differences between intervention and control groups. To control for contact-time with the researchers, participants in the control group will spend approximately 20 minutes with the researcher exploring Zimbardo's time perspective constructs (ZTPI, Zimbardo \& Boyd, 1999) and completing the short Zimbardo's time perspective inventory (Orosz et al. 2017). The inventory was selected because the cognitive processes involved in accessing time constructs will also be activated in the intervention group for the planning of coping strategies and goal achievement during future injecting risk situations. The study also aims: * To assess the variability in injecting risk behaviour as explained by subjective norms, social connectedness and group identification constructs; * To assess the variability in intervention effectiveness as explained by changes in mental health, illness perception subjective norms, social connectedness, and group identification.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
52
This brief intervention will last around 20 minutes. The participants and the researcher will read through the list of real-life solutions the participants might find applicable to them. They will then read through the list of situations one by one. The participant will draw a coloured line between the situation and the solution which seems more appropriate to them. The volitional help sheet helps create implementation intentions, which are self-regulatory strategies taking the form of "if-then" plans (i.e. situation-solution plan).
Cairn Centre Needle Exchange
Dundee, United Kingdom
Injecting Risk Behaviour
Self-reported injecting risk behaviour over the past 4 weeks. Seventeen items scored 1-4 (1 frequently, 4 never)
Time frame: 4 weeks
Self-Efficacy
Self-reported confidence in one's own ability to refuse sharing of injecting equipment and use of old injecting equipment. Fifteen items scored 1-7 (1 high confidence, 7 low confidence)
Time frame: 4 weeks
Subjective Norms
Self-reported social norms of individual's injecting network. Four items scored 1-7 (1 strong acceptance of sharing equipment, 7 no acceptance of sharing equipment).
Time frame: Up to 4 weeks
Social Connectedness
Self-reported perceived social connectedness to general society. Eight items scored 1-6 (1 low connectedness, 6 high connectedness)
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks
Group Identification
Self-reported perceived identification with family group and injecting group. Eight items scored 1-7 (1 high identification, 7 low identification).
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks
Depression
Self-reported depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks. Nine items scored 0-3 (0 no symptoms, 3 depressive symptoms)
Time frame: 2 weeks
Anxiety
Self-reported depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks. Nine items scored 0-3 (0 no symptoms, 3 depressive symptoms)
Time frame: 2 weeks
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Post traumatic stress disorder
Self-reported trauma-induced stress symptoms over the past month. Five items scored Yes/No.
Time frame: 1 month
Working alliance
Self-reported therapeutic alliance with provider of hepatitis C treatment care over treatment duration. Eight items scored 1-5 (1 poor alliance, 5 excellent alliance).
Time frame: Treatment duration (12 weeks)
Illness perception
Self-reported perception of hepatitis C as an illness. Eight items scored 1-10 (1 no impact on quality of life, 10 high impact on quality of life).
Time frame: Up to 8 weeks