AIMS: To test the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting. METHODS: Over a period of 3 years physicians screened patients who visited an outpatient clinic for general internal medicine for problem drinking. Of the 4728 patients screened, 284 (6%) scored positive on problem drinking of whom 123 participated in the study. They received a computerized baseline assessment and were randomly allocated to a brief psychosocial intervention given by a psychologist (Dutch version of W. R. Millers' Drinker's Check-Up) (n = 61) or to 'care as usual' (n = 62). They were followed up at 6 months. The outcome measures were alcohol consumption and the increase in motivation to reduce alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Most patients reduced their alcohol consumption over time, but no differences were found between the intervention and control groups. A slightly, but not significantly, larger proportion of patients who received the intervention increased their motivation to change. CONCLUSIONS: No conclusive evidence was found for the effectiveness of adding a brief psychological intervention to the physician's advice for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting.
RCT Entities:
AIMS: To test the effectiveness of a brief psychological intervention for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting. METHODS: Over a period of 3 years physicians screened patients who visited an outpatient clinic for general internal medicine for problem drinking. Of the 4728 patients screened, 284 (6%) scored positive on problem drinking of whom 123 participated in the study. They received a computerized baseline assessment and were randomly allocated to a brief psychosocial intervention given by a psychologist (Dutch version of W. R. Millers' Drinker's Check-Up) (n = 61) or to 'care as usual' (n = 62). They were followed up at 6 months. The outcome measures were alcohol consumption and the increase in motivation to reduce alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Most patients reduced their alcohol consumption over time, but no differences were found between the intervention and control groups. A slightly, but not significantly, larger proportion of patients who received the intervention increased their motivation to change. CONCLUSIONS: No conclusive evidence was found for the effectiveness of adding a brief psychological intervention to the physician's advice for problem drinking among outpatients in a hospital setting.
Authors: L A R Stein; P Allison Minugh; Richard Longabaugh; Philip Wirtz; Janette Baird; Ted D Nirenberg; Robert F Woolard; Kathy Carty; Christina Lee; Michael Mello; Bruce Becker; Aruna Gogineni Journal: Psychol Addict Behav Date: 2009-06
Authors: Geir Smedslund; Rigmor C Berg; Karianne T Hammerstrøm; Asbjørn Steiro; Kari A Leiknes; Helene M Dahl; Kjetil Karlsen Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2011-05-11
Authors: Natalie A Johnson; Kypros Kypri; John B Saunders; Richard Saitz; John Attia; Adrian Dunlop; Christopher Doran; Patrick McElduff; Luke Wolfenden; Jim McCambridge Journal: Addict Sci Clin Pract Date: 2013-09-03