Cannabis Use Treatment Satisfaction: A Review of the Perceived Effectiveness of a Text-delivered Counseling Program for Problematic Cannabis Use
Introduction: Often surface-level treatment satisfaction data are collected during clinical trials but collecting in-depth qualitative data from intervention participants can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of change and identifying aspects of an intervention that could be improved.
Methods: Data were collected to examine cannabis use and treatment satisfaction information from young adults (ages 18-25) who had recently taken part in a randomized controlled trial of a text message-based intervention for problematic cannabis use. The survey included questions designed to determine general treatment satisfaction, post-study changes in use, and to gather feedback about potential improvements to the program.
Results: Nearly all (93%) respondents found PNC-Text to be helpful, with text message content being the most commonly endorsed helpful component (53%), followed by supportive “boost†messages (37%). Intervention texts specific to craving and current use resulted in 63.3% of the sample reporting heightened awareness of their use, and almost half (40%) reported a better understanding of problematic. Fifty percent of those who participated in the study reported that, when using cannabis, they use less than they did prior to the intervention. Seventy percent of respondents stated that it was helpful to answer questions about their friend group and nearly one-quarter of participants decreased the amount of time spent with “unhealthy†friends.
Conclusions: These findings provide encouraging evidence for the potential effectiveness of text-based counseling for problematic cannabis use. Furthermore, participants generally provided positive feedback on their experience with the program and indicated that it helped reduce their cannabis use.