Contingency Management Using Deposit Contract to Reduce Drinking
Key facts
- Who runs it
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Where
- Denton and San Antonio, United StatesSee the 2 sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Withdrawn
- Started
- 10 Jun 2022
- Ended
- 31 May 2025
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Deposit Contract
- Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring
- Record updated
- 23 June 2026
- Why it stopped
- Due to a study transfer between institutions, substantial time and funding was lost. Additionally, other federal funding cancellations resulted in a loss of staff.
Who can take part
- Age
- 21 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 11 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- at least 21 years of age,
- report at least 1heavy drinking episode during the last 28 days
- want to reduce their alcohol use
- are willing to wear a transdermal alcohol monitor
- own a smart phone and
- are willing and able to deposit $30, $60, or $100 of their choice
Who cannot take part
- substance use disorder (except alcohol, nicotine, and/or caffeine)
- medical condition that would contraindicate participation (e.g., pregnancy, scheduled surgery)
- presence of a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) psychiatric disorder with symptoms of psychosis and/or delirium; or
- significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms (score ≥ 10 on the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol) or currently in alcohol treatment
- inability to comprehend informed consent or instructions
Where in United States
- University of North TexasDenton, United States
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio, United States
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This study will examine the effects of an incentive-based intervention (for reducing alcohol use) that would be sustainable, easily accessible intervention using remote alcohol monitoring and deposit contracts, targeting individuals who would not be reached by more traditional forms of treatment due to barriers such as time constraints, attitudes, and stigma.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Control groupExisting treatment, for comparison
During the 2-week intervention, participants will wear a transdermal alcohol monitor and return to our lab twice more (i.e., Visit 1 on the 8th day and Visit 2 on the 15th day from the study entry) to have their monitoring data downloaded from the webserver and payments (if any) determined. 1/2 of their deposit per week will be added electronically to their debit card regardless of their drinking
Treatment: Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring
- Deposit Contract GroupTreatment being tested
During the 2-week intervention, participants will wear a transdermal alcohol monitor and return to our lab twice more (i.e., Visit 1 on the 8th day and Visit 2 on the 15th day from the study entry) to have their monitoring data downloaded from the webserver and payments (if any) determined. Payment will be contingent on the absence of heavy drinking episodes during the previous 7 days. Data from their transdermal alcohol monitor will be automatically processed using previously developed algorithms. When no heavy drinking episode has occurred (no transdermal alcohol concentrations \> 0.02 g/dl), participants will be paid 1/2 of their deposit and receive an electronic "bonus" voucher.
Treatment: Deposit Contract and Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Record updated
- 23 June 2026