A phone app and a counselor take on the twin troubles of rural pain and drinking
NCT ID NCT07804914
First seen Sep 04, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a brief counseling session followed by an 8-week smartphone program can help rural adults who drink heavily and live with chronic pain. Participants are recruited online and complete all study steps through videoconferencing. After a first assessment, they are randomly assigned to either the full intervention or a control group that gets counseling only. Researchers measure changes in pain and drinking at 3 and 8 months to see if the digital approach makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A brief motivational counseling session plus an 8-week smartphone app with cognitive behavioral and self-management skills, weekly SMS coaching, and instant messaging with a health counselor
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this approach could offer a practical, remote way to help rural adults cut down on heavy drinking and manage chronic pain without needing in-person visits.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is relatively small and relies on self-reported measures, so results may not apply broadly. The app and counseling may not be enough to change long-term habits, and some participants might not stick with the program.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 260 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Reside in a US rural area (non-metropolitan country) as defined by the Rural-Urban Commuting Codes from US Dept. of Agriculture * At least 18 years of age * Engage in hazardous drinking (either by exceeding weekly NIAAA guidelines of 7 standard drinks for women \[\>7\] and those \> 65 and older or 14 for men \[\>14\] \<65, and/or having at least one heavy drinking episode in the past month as measured by \>3 drinks for women and those \> 65 and \>4 drinks for men \< 65), - - Experience chronic pain (at least 3 months in duration) of at least moderate severity (4 or greater on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale) * Fluent in English * Use of a personal smartphone * Able to provide the name and contact information for one or more individuals who may be contacted in case the participant cannot be reached at follow-up. Exclusion Criteria: * History of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders * Prior history of serious alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms (i.e., withdrawal-related seizures or delirium tremens) * Current psychological/behavioral treatment for alcohol use disorder * Current psychological/behavioral treatment for chronic pain * Cancer-related pain * Intent to have surgery for a pain-related condition in the next 8-months * If using psychoactive medications for pain management or alcohol use must be using a stable medication dose (same dose for at least 2 months).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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