Pluralistic counselling versus counselling as usual for young people presenting with addiction issues: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Aim The purpose of this study was to pilot a randomised controlled trial that aimed to test the hypothesis that counselling utilising a pluralistic framework was more effective than counselling as usual for young people experiencing issues as a result of their addiction. Method Sixty‐four clients presenting with issues of addiction were allocated to either a counselling‐as‐usual (n = 33) or a pluralistic (n = 31) intervention. Psychometric measures (YP‐CORE and SDQ) were taken at baseline, endpoint and 3‐month follow‐up to compare changes in levels of psychological distress. Results The use of a randomised controlled trial in practice‐based research was found to be feasible to both clients and the organisation in which the study took place. Recruitment and retention rates were acceptable. No statistically significant differences between groups were found on the primary measure. Discussion The findings highlight the feasibility and acceptability of conducting such research within this unique context. The findings give preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of both counselling interventions. The absence of significant differences on our primary outcome between the two arms in this trial is not unexpected given its lack of power. Further research should continue to develop protocols to further maximise client retention and counsellor adherence.

Community‐based counselling for benzodiazepine withdrawal: A mixed‐methods study of client outcomes

“…Further, a lack of control and agency has been noted as an important factor in adults unilaterally discontinuing their psychiatric medications (Keogh et al, 2021) and the lack of involvement in medication decisionmaking has been found to be a challenge for young people with a mental illness (McMillan et al, 2020). More generally, favourable outcomes for collaborative models involving shared decision-making have also been found for pluralistic models of counselling for young people with substance use (Joyce et al, 2022).…”