Addiction

Breaking Free Online vs Standard Treatment in Substance Use Disorder: Telehealth Model

Calling for participants until

01 Nov 2025

Participant type

Age: All ages,Looking For: Service Users,Study Type: Interview,Study Type: Remote,Study Type: Surveys,Study Type: Therapy

Rewards

Up to £20

Overview

Breaking Free Online is an internet-based, computerised treatment programme which is designed to help people to understand what may be driving their drug or alcohol use. The programme is designed to help people to learn to use psychological techniques to help them cope and control their drug or alcohol use and make positive changes to their lifestyle and health.

Summary

What is the study about?

Breaking Free Online is an internet-based, computerised treatment programme which is designed to help people to understand what may be driving their drug or alcohol use. The programme is designed to help people to learn to use psychological techniques to help them cope and control their drug or alcohol use and make positive changes to their lifestyle and health. The programme is accessed at home using a computer or internet-enabled device (such as a phone or tablet) and is designed to be used for an hour or two per week for a period of 8 weeks.

What are you trying to find out?

The aim of this study is to look at the changes in substance use and mental health that the Breaking Free Online treatment and recovery programme - together with ‘recovery check-in phone calls’ and standard treatment - might be able to make on the lifestyle and health of people with alcohol or drug problems, compared to the changes in people having standard treatment on its own. We also want to look at whether these changes will last for 6 months after treatment has finished.

What does taking part involve?

If you are considered suitable for the trial, you will then be randomly selected to receive treatment for your drug or alcohol difficulties in one of these two groups:

  • Standard treatment, plus the Breaking Free Online treatment and recovery programme, plus ‘recovery check-in phone calls’. 
  • Standard Treatment only.

The reason we are randomly selecting people to be in one of these groups is because we want to compare people who have used the Breaking Free Online programme, with people who have not used the Breaking Free Online programme (‘standard treatment’). You have a 50-50 chance of being in either of the two groups, but if you do not receive the Breaking Free Online programme and would like to, you can ask to use the programme after the study has finished.

Who is it for?

People who have been refered to a Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust alcohol and drug service to receive standard treatment for alcohol and/or drug difficultues. 

Why is it important? 

As with standard treatment, it is possible that you may see positive changes in your alcohol or drug use, lifestyle, and health when you are taking part in the Breaking Free Online treatment and recovery programme. Additionally, by taking part you will also be helping us to improve the Breaking Free Online programme for people who use it in the future, and you will also be helping Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to find the best ways to support service users using the Breaking Free Online programme to work on their recovery from the difficulties with alcohol and drugs.

How can I find out more?

You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:

Email the research team

Collaborators

As a patient

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