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Texting teens to treatment: can a simple SMS boost attendance?

NCT ID NCT04446910

Disease control Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether tailored SMS text messages can improve treatment attendance among justice-involved youth aged 13-18 who are referred to community-based substance use or dual diagnosis treatment. Participants receive either appointment reminders plus motivational messages or reminders alone for 90 days. Researchers measure attendance and engagement, as well as alcohol and drug use, to see if texting helps keep youth connected to care.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
SMS text messaging intervention with appointment reminders and motivational messages
What this could lead to
If effective, this low-cost text messaging approach could improve treatment attendance and engagement among justice-involved youth with substance use issues.
What could go wrong
The trial is small and early, and results may not apply broadly. Text reminders alone may not be enough to overcome barriers to treatment attendance.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

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

50 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2020

Finished

Apr 2025

Lead sponsor

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

13 to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * English-speaking youth with willing adult caregiver * Ages 13-18 * Justice-involved while living in the community * Own a mobile phone or tablet * Are willing to send and receive text messages * Are referred to community-based substance use and/or mental health treatment Exclusion Criteria: \-

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

substance abuse substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Drug use

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • UCSF Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

    San Francisco, California, 94131, United States

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