Disorders - Alcohol Use
Schinke, Steven P., Schwinn, Traci M., Fang, Lin
Purpose: Methods: Results: Conclusions: This randomized clinical trial examined longitudinal outcomes from an alcohol abuse prevention program aimed at urban youths.Study participants were an ethnically and racially heterogeneous sample of early adolescents, recruited from community-based agencies in greater New York City and its environs. Once they assented to study participation and gained parental permission, youths were divided into three arms: youth intervention delivered by CD-ROM (CD), the same youth intervention plus parent intervention (CD(P)), and control. Once all youths completed baseline measures, those in CD and CD(P) arms received a computerized 10-session alcohol abuse prevention program. Parents of youths in the CD(P) arm received supplemental materials to support and strengthen their children's learning. All youths completed postintervention and annual follow-up measures, and CD- and CD(P)-arm participants received annual booster intervention sessions.Seven years following postintervention testing and relative to control-arm youths, youths in CD and CD(P) arms reported less alcohol use, cigarette use, binge drinking, and peer pressure to drink; fewer drinking friends; greater refusal of alcohol use opportunities; and lower intentions to drink. No differences were observed between CD and CD(P) arms.Study findings lend support to the potential of computerized, skills-based prevention programs to help urban youth reduce their risks for underage drinking.
Copyright 2010 Society for Adolescent Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(5) : 451-457
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Skills training, Other Psychological Interventions, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Rooke, Sally, Thorsteinsson, Einar, Karpin, Anne, Copeland, Jan, Allsop, David
Aims: Methods: Results: Conclusion: To quantify the overall effectiveness of computer-delivered interventions for alcohol and tobacco use.Meta-analysis of 42 effect sizes from randomized controlled trials, based on the responses of 10 632 individuals.The weighted average effect size (d) was 0.20, P < 0.001. While lower effect sizes were associated with studies addressing tobacco use (d = 0.14) this may well reflect differences in the types of outcome measure used. Effect sizes did not vary significantly as a function of treatment location, inclusion of entertaining elements, provision of normative feedback, availability of a discussion feature, number of treatment sessions, emphasis on relapse prevention, level of therapist involvement or follow-up period.Findings of the meta-analysis suggest that minimal contact computer-delivered treatments that can be accessed via the internet may represent a cost-effective means of treating uncomplicated substance use and related problems.
Addiction (Abingdon, England), 105(8) : 1381-1390
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Systematic reviews
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Martens, Matthew P., Kilmer, Jason R., Beck, Niels C., Zamboanga, Byron L.
College athletes are an at-risk population for excessive alcohol use and subsequent alcohol-related harms. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of an electronically delivered personalized drinking feedback (PDF) intervention targeted specifically to college athletes, both in comparison with a standard (i.e., nontargeted) PDF intervention and an education-only (EO) condition that also included targeted information. Data were collected on 263 intercollegiate athletes from three colleges (76% women, 86% White) who were randomly assigned to one of the conditions. Results provided partial support for the efficacy of the targeted PDF intervention. Students in the targeted PDF condition reported a lower peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the 6-month follow-up than those in the other conditions. Heavy drinking students in the targeted PDF condition reported a lower peak BAC than those in the other conditions at the 1-month follow-up and a lower peak BAC than those in the EO condition at the 6-month follow-up. Finally, in-season athletes in the targeted PDF condition reported fewer drinks per week than those in the PDF-standard condition at the 1-month follow-up. These findings provide preliminary support for the use of targeted PDF interventions with at-risk alcohol users, such as college athletes.
(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24(4) : 660-669
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Psychoeducation, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Lovecchio, Catherine P., Wyatt, Todd M., DeJong, William
A randomized control trial was conducted at a midsized private university in the Northeast to evaluate the short-term impact of AlcoholEdu for College 8.0, an online alcohol course for first-year students. In September 2007, 1,620 matriculated first-year students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or an assessment-only control group. Both groups of students completed a baseline survey and knowledge test. Treatment group students finished the course, took a second knowledge test, and 30 days later completed a postintervention survey. Control group students completed the postintervention survey and knowledge test during the same time period. Compared with the control group, treatment group students reported a significantly lower level of alcohol use, fewer negative drinking consequences, and less positive alcohol-related attitudes. AlcoholEdu 8.0 had a positive impact on the first-year students' alcohol-related attitudes, behaviors, and consequences. Additional investigations of online alcohol education courses are warranted.
Journal of Health Communication, 15(7) : 805-819
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Psychoeducation, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
McCarthy, Paul M., O'Sullivan, David
This pilot study evaluated the efficacy of a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention program designed to reduce excessive pre-enlistment drinking behaviors in a sample of Irish Navy recruits undergoing a 16-week basic training course. Participants were randomly allocated to either a treatment (TG) or control group (CG) (N = 13 each). The program was conducted over four consecutive 1.5-hour weekly sessions. Data were collected at pre and post intervention as well as at a 2-month follow-up. In comparison to those in the control group, participants who received the intervention reported increased scores (p < 0.05) in readiness to change drinking at time 2 and reduced scores in binge drinking (p < 0.05) at time 3. There were also marginal changes in self-efficacy and risky drinking behavior. This work adds to the evidence of the emerging efficacy of a workplace CBT intervention for unhealthy drinking.
Military Medicine, 175(11) : 841-846
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
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Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Palmer, Rebekka S., Kilmer, Jason R., Ball, Samuel A., Larimer, Mary E.
The efficacy of the Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP; Miller, et al., 2000) was evaluated in 204 heavy-drinking college students randomly assigned to either ASTP (n=119) or an assessment-only control (n=85) condition. The volunteer ASTP sample (n=119) was also compared to a sample of students mandated to ASTP following a first-time sanction (n=90). At baseline, mandated students reported lower levels of peak drinking, negative consequences, readiness to change and higher defensiveness than voluntary students. However, the voluntary sample showed reductions in problem drinking indicators over time such that there were no differences from mandated students at follow-up. There were no outcome differences between volunteers assigned to ASTP versus assessment-only. A new measure of defensiveness was evaluated and had a significant moderating effect on ASTP outcome for peak drinking consumed on a peak occasion at follow-up among mandated students.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Addictive Behaviors, 35(12) : 1157-1160
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
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Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Psychoeducation, Skills training
Neighbors, Clayton, Lewis, Melissa A., Atkins, David C., Jensen, Megan M., Walter, Theresa, Fossos, Nicole, Lee, Christine M., et-al
Unlabelled: Method: Results: Conclusions: Objective: Web-based brief alcohol interventions have the potential to reach a large number of individuals at low cost; however, few controlled evaluations have been conducted to date. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of gender-specific versus gender-nonspecific personalized normative feedback (PNF) with single versus biannual administration in a 2-year randomized controlled trial targeting a large sample of heavy-drinking college students.Participants included 818 freshmen (57.6% women; 42% non-Caucasian) who reported 1 or more heavy-drinking episodes in the previous month at baseline. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2 (gender-specific vs. gender-nonspecific PNF) × 2 (single vs. biannual administration of PNF) + 1 (attention control) design. Assessments occurred every 6 months for a 2-year period.Results from hierarchical generalized linear models provided modest effects on weekly drinking and alcohol-related problems but not on heavy episodic drinking. Relative to control, gender-specific biannual PNF was associated with reductions over time in weekly drinking (d = -0.16, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.31]), and this effect was partially mediated by changes in perceived norms. For women, but not men, gender-specific biannual PNF was associated with reductions over time in alcohol-related problems relative to control (d = -0.29, 95% CI [-0.15, -0.58]). Few other effects were evident.The present research provides modest support for the use of biannually administered web-based gender-specific PNF as an alternative to more costly indicated prevention strategies.
(c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.
Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 78(6) : 898-911
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Murphy, James G., Dennhardt, Ashley A., Skidmore, Jessica R., Martens, Matthew P., McDevitt-Murphy, Meghan E.
The authors conducted two randomized clinical trials with ethnically diverse samples of college student drinkers in order to determine (a) the relative efficacy of two popular computerized interventions versus a more comprehensive motivational interview approach (BASICS) and (b) the mechanisms of change associated with these interventions. In Study 1, heavy drinking participants recruited from a student health center (N = 74, 59% women, 23% African American) were randomly assigned to receive BASICS or the Alcohol 101 CD-ROM program. BASICS was associated with greater post-session motivation to change and self-ideal and normative discrepancy relative to Alcohol 101, but there were no group differences in the primary drinking outcomes at 1-month follow-up. Pre to post session increases in motivation predicted lower follow-up drinking across both conditions. In Study 2, heavy drinking freshman recruited from a core university course (N = 133, 50% women, 30% African American) were randomly assigned to BASICS, a web-based feedback program (e-CHUG), or assessment-only. BASICS was associated with greater post-session self-ideal discrepancy than e-CHUG, but there were no differences in motivation or normative discrepancy. There was a significant treatment effect on typical weekly and heavy drinking, with participants in BASICS reporting significantly lower follow-up drinking relative to assessment only participants. In Study 2, change in the motivation or discrepancy did not predict drinking outcomes. Across both studies, African American students assigned to BASICS reported medium effect size reductions in drinking whereas African American students assigned to Alcohol 101, e-CHUG, or assessment did not reduce their drinking.
(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24(4) : 628-639
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Terlecki, Meredith A., Larimer, Mary E., Copeland, Amy L.
Objective: Method: Results: Conclusions: The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief motivational intervention (BMI) for reducing risky alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among mandated (M) and voluntary (V) student drinkers to determine (a) whether BMI-mandated students report greater decreases in alcohol use and related problems, relative to no treatment; (b) whether a BMI is comparably effective for mandated and voluntary students; and (c) whether a mandated control group shows greater changes in alcohol use and related problems relative to a voluntary control group.Participants were undergraduate student research volunteers (62% male) who met heavy drinking criteria and completed measures of alcohol use and alcohol problems at baseline and 4 weeks after intervention. Participants (N = 84) were randomly assigned to treatment (T) or assessment-only control (C) conditions (mandated students were assigned to a brief wait list).Participants assigned to treatment reported consuming fewer drinks after the intervention (MT: M = 14.11 drinks; VT: M = 14.05) relative to control groups (MC: M = 20.71; VC: M = 16.53). Evaluation of alcohol-related problems indicated a significant effect of referral status, such that mandated students reported significantly fewer problems at the follow-up assessment relative to volunteers.BMIs are comparably effective for mandated and voluntary students and may result in larger reductions in alcohol use than disciplinary attention alone. More longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact of a BMI among mandated students.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs, 71(1) : 54-60
- Year: 2010
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy
Turrisi, Rob, Larimer, Mary E., Mallett, Kimberly A., Kilmer, Jason R., Ray, Anne E., Mastroleo, Nadine R., Geisner, Irene Markman
Objective: Method: Results: Conclusions: The current study is a multisite randomized alcohol prevention trial to evaluate the efficacy of both a parenting handbook intervention and the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) intervention, alone and in combination, in reducing alcohol use and consequences among a high-risk population of matriculating college students (i.e., former high school athletes).Students (n = 1,275) completed a series of Web-administered measures at baseline (in the summer before starting college) and follow-up (after 10 months). Students were randomized to one of four conditions: parent intervention only, BASICS only, combined (parent and BASICS), and assessment-only control. Intervention efficacy was tested on a number of outcome measures, including peak blood alcohol concentration, weekly and weekend drinking, and negative consequences. Hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effect were tested.The overall results revealed that the combined-intervention group had significantly lower alcohol consumption, high-risk drinking, and consequences at 10-month follow-up, compared with the control group, with changes in descriptive and injunctive peer norms mediating intervention effects.The findings of the present study suggest that the parent intervention delivered to students before they begin college serves to enhance the efficacy of the BASICS intervention, potentially priming students to respond to the subsequent BASICS session.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs, 70(4) : 555-567
- Year: 2009
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions, Personalised feedback, normative feedback
, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Terlecki, M. A., Kulesza, M., Larimer, M. E., Copeland, A. L.
Readiness to change (RTC) heavy drinking behavior has been implicated as a mechanism of behavior change for brief motivational interventions (BMIs) designed to reduce risky alcohol use among college student drinkers. A limitation to the extant literature is whether the BMI increases RTC, and whether change in RTC is associated with greater reductions in alcohol consumption, especially among students mandated to a BMI for an alcohol policy violation (e.g., underage drinking). The aim of the present study was to determine if between-group (BMI vs. wait-list control) differences in decreased alcohol use were significantly associated with RTC change at 4 weeks post-intervention. We hypothesized: (1) the BMI condition would produce greater decreases in alcohol use at 4 weeks post-intervention, as compared to the waitlist control (WLC) condition, and (2) this decreased alcohol use would be significantly associated with change in RTC for participants in the BMI condition. Undergraduate college students (N = 46; M = 20.2, SD = 1.7 years old; 80.4% male) who had violated a campus alcohol policy were screened for heavy alcohol use and randomly assigned to a BMI (n = 22) or a WLC group (n = 24). Participants completed measures of alcohol use and RTC at baseline and 4-weeks post-intervention. Students in the BMI condition significantly decreased total alcohol use at 4 weeks post-intervention relative to students in the WLC condition, F(2,43) = 10.35, p=.002. RTC significantly increased over time (R=.45; (beta)=.45; t = 3.33; p=.002), but study condition did not significantly predict RTC change. The present findings provide additional support for the efficacy of BMIs in reducing alcohol use among mandated college students. However, RTC change could not be solely attributed to the BMI condition in this study, as the WLC condition also produced significant RTC change in the desired direction. Further, RTC change was not significantly associated with change in alcohol use in the present sample. The present findings suggest that other potential mechanisms of behavior change warrant evaluation among mandated students assigned to a brief alcohol intervention, or perhaps the referral process alone increases RTC among mandated students. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 33 : 51A
- Year: 2009
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy
Terlecki, M. A., Kulesza, M., Larimer, M. E., Copeland, A. L.
Brief Motivational Interventions (BMI) effectively reduces alcohol use and related harm in mandated college students. However, due to the limited use of control groups, it is unclear whether reductions in drinking behavior reported post-intervention are a treatment effect or due to other factors (e.g., the effect of disciplinary action). The present study evaluated the impact of a BMI designed to reduce heavy alcohol consumption and related harm among college student heavy drinkers mandated to a BMI for a campus alcohol policy violation (e.g., underage possession). The aim of the ongoing study is to determine whether reductions in drinking behavior are a direct effect of the BMI using a multiple baseline comparison design. Undergraduate college students (N = 46; M = 20.2, SD = 1.7 years old; 80.4%) who had violated a campus alcohol policy were screened for heavy alcohol use and randomly assigned to immediate treatment (n = 22) or a brief wait-list control (WLC) condition (n = 24) as part of a larger study. Preliminary data is presented for students assigned to the WLC group who completed baseline and WLC measures (collected 6-weeks after baseline), received the intervention, and completed 4-week and 3-month post-test measures of alcohol use (n=17). Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to evaluate changes in alcohol use outcome variables (weekly quantity, weekly frequency, peak drinks, typical drinks, problems) over time. Results showed a significant decrease in reported weekly quantity Wilks' (Lambda)=0.37, F (3,14)=7.843, p=.003. Pairwise comparisons revealed a significant decrease from baseline to 4-week post-test ((Delta)M=8.71, SD=4.02; p=.008), which was maintained at the 3-month follow-up ((Delta)M=9.52, SD = 1.82, p=.001). Results for peak drinks, typical drinks, and weekly frequency followed a similar trend, where the greatest reductions occurred at the 4-week post-test but were not significant. Alcohol-related problems significantly decreased over time Wilks' (Lambda)=.43, F(3,14)=6.044, p=.007. Pairwise comparisons revealed a significant decrease from baseline to 4-week post-test ((Delta)M=7.06, SD =3.04, p=.000). Results indicate the BMI may be an effective addition to the campus disciplinary process for handling alcohol policy violators. More research is needed to establish the long-term effects of the intervention within this high-risk group of mandated college student drinkers.
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 33 : 52A
- Year: 2009
- Problem: Alcohol Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy