JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Approximately one in six cannabis users develops a cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the odds increasing to one in two among daily users.

Objective:

The DuCATA_GAM-CaT project aims to identify cannabis-tobacco withdrawal symptoms among individuals with CUD who are attending substance abuse programs (SAP).

Methods:

The project employs a mixed-methods approach consisting of three studies. First, a participatory qualitative study involves focus groups comprised of individuals with CUD, clinicians, project researchers, and an expert gamification company to co-design a gamified web application. Second, a longitudinal prospective study follows individuals with CUD attending SAP for six weeks. Participants report their cannabis-tobacco usage patterns, type and frequency of tobacco use, nicotine dependence, withdrawal symptoms, psychoemotional factors, and motivation to quit both substances. Predictive analysis techniques are employed to analyze clinical, demographic, psychological, and environmental data to predict the probability of achieving abstinence. Third, homogeneous focus groups are conducted to explore participants' experiences during their CUD treatment.

Results:

As of April 2024, the project has completed the first study, defining eligible cannabis user profiles, developed the initial webapp prototype, and initiated recruitment across 10 centers, with 60 participants enrolled, aiming for 150 participants soon.

Conclusions:

All participants provide informed consent, and their information is kept confidential and anonymized in accordance with confidentiality rules. The research team is committed to disseminating the results obtained to professional and patient groups, as well as informing public health agents, in order to positively influence political and social decision-makers and design programmers. Additionally, we aim to prioritize publication of the results in high-impact journals specializing in drug abuse, public health, and health care services research. Clinical Trial: The DuCATA project has been registered at Clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier [NCT05512091].