A digital harm reduction app was feasible and acceptable for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis
The CHAMPS digital harm reduction app showed 82% trial retention and 59% completion among young adults with first-episode psychosis, with signals of improvement in harm reduction strategy use and cannabis-related problems.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Trial retention was 82.2% and CHAMPS completion rate was 58.8%, meeting pre-specified thresholds for feasibility and acceptability. Signals of possible improvement were observed in harm reduction strategy use, motivation to change cannabis behaviors, cannabis-related problems, and cannabis use frequency in the intervention group.
Key Numbers
N = 101 young adults (ages 18-35) with FEP. Retention: 82.2% (threshold: 60%). Completion: 58.8% (threshold: 50%). Six-module digital intervention. Assessments at baseline, weeks 6, 12, 18.
How They Did This
Multi-site pilot randomized controlled trial comparing early intervention services (EIS) + CHAMPS digital app versus EIS-only in 101 young adults aged 18-35 with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis. Outcomes assessed at baseline and weeks 6, 12, and 18.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis use worsens prognosis for people with first-episode psychosis, but many are not ready for abstinence-focused treatment. Harm reduction approaches that meet patients where they are could improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.
The Bigger Picture
This study represents an important philosophical shift in psychosis care: rather than requiring cannabis abstinence as a prerequisite for treatment, harm reduction accepts current use while working to minimize its negative consequences.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Pilot study not powered for efficacy. Improvement signals are preliminary and require confirmation. Cannabis use was self-reported. Multi-site design adds generalizability but also variability.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will the signals of improvement hold in a fully powered efficacy trial?
- ?Can CHAMPS be integrated into standard early intervention services?
- ?Would combining CHAMPS with clinical support improve outcomes further?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 82% retention, 59% completion
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-designed multi-site pilot RCT meeting feasibility and acceptability thresholds, but underpowered for efficacy conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication
- Original Title:
- A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis harm reduction intervention for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis.
- Published In:
- Psychiatry research, 350, 116553 (2025)
- Authors:
- Coronado-Montoya, Stephanie(2), Abdel-Baki, Amal(2), Bodson-Clermont, Paule, Boucher-Roy, David, Côté, José, Crocker, Candice E, Crockford, David, Daneault, Jean-Gabriel, Dubreucq, Simon, Dussault-Laurendeau, Maxime, Fischer, Benedikt, Lachance-Touchette, Pamela, Lecomte, Tania, L'Heureux, Sophie, Ouellet-Plamondon, Clairélaine, Roy, Marc-André, Tatar, Ovidiu, Tibbo, Philip G, Villeneuve, Marie, Wittevrongel, Anne, Jutras-Aswad, Didier
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06258
Evidence Hierarchy
A small preliminary study to test whether a larger study is feasible.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is CHAMPS?
Cannabis Harm-reducing App to Manage Practices Safely, a six-module digital intervention designed for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis but are not ready for abstinence-focused treatment.
Did the app reduce cannabis use in people with psychosis?
There were preliminary signals of improvement in harm reduction strategy use, motivation to change, cannabis-related problems, and use frequency, but the study was designed to test feasibility, not efficacy. A larger trial is needed to confirm benefits.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06258APA
Coronado-Montoya, Stephanie; Abdel-Baki, Amal; Bodson-Clermont, Paule; Boucher-Roy, David; Côté, José; Crocker, Candice E; Crockford, David; Daneault, Jean-Gabriel; Dubreucq, Simon; Dussault-Laurendeau, Maxime; Fischer, Benedikt; Lachance-Touchette, Pamela; Lecomte, Tania; L'Heureux, Sophie; Ouellet-Plamondon, Clairélaine; Roy, Marc-André; Tatar, Ovidiu; Tibbo, Philip G; Villeneuve, Marie; Wittevrongel, Anne; Jutras-Aswad, Didier. (2025). A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis harm reduction intervention for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis.. Psychiatry research, 350, 116553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116553
MLA
Coronado-Montoya, Stephanie, et al. "A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis harm reduction intervention for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis.." Psychiatry research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116553
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis ha..." RTHC-06258. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/coronado-montoya-2025-a-pilot-randomized-controlled
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.