Effectiveness of an App-based Intervention to Reduce Substance Use, Gambling and Digital Media Use in Vocational School Students: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Substance-related and addictive disorders are among the most common mental disorders in adolescence and young adulthood. Vocational school students are a risk group for problematic substance use and addictive behavior. However, the availability of evidence-based prevention concepts and programs is underdeveloped in the vocational school setting. Methods/design: A two-arm cluster randomized waitlist-controlled trial will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an app-based intervention to decrease substance use, gambling and digital media use in vocational school students in Germany. Vocational students will participate in an app-based intervention that is designed to support voluntary commitment to abstain from or reduce substance or digital media use over a period of two weeks. The “education-as-usual” control arm will have access to the intervention after data collection is completed. Primary outcome measures will be use of alcohol, nicotine, and digital media 30 days after intervention. Several secondary outcome measures will also be included, such as cannabis consumption, gambling, symptoms of stress, physical activity, mindfulness, well-being, impulsivity and sensation seeking, and readiness to change. A total of 4,500 vocational students from 225 classes will be recruited and randomized across three German federal states. Discussion: This study protocol describes the design of an RCT testing the effectiveness of an app-based intervention to reduce addictive behaviors in vocational school students. It is expected that this approach will be feasible for and effective in the vocational school setting and that the study provides comprehensive information on the key factors involved in temporary abstaining or reducing substance or digital media use. Trial registration: German Register of Clinical Studies: No. DRKS00023788, registered on January 20, 2021