Kristian Krause1, Diana Guertler2,3, Anne Moehring2,3, Anil Batra4, Sandra Eck4, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf5, Gallus Bischof5, Michael Lucht6, Jennis Freyer-Adam3,7, Sabina Ulbricht2,3, Ulrich John2,3, Christian Meyer2,3. 1. Institute of Social Medicine and Prevention, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany, kristian.krause@uni-greifswald.de. 2. Institute of Social Medicine and Prevention, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 3. DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. 5. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research Group S:TEP, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. 6. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, HELIOS Hanse-Hospital Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany. 7. Institute for Medical Psychology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A pre-post pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of a fully automatized computer-based intervention targeting hazardous drinking and depressiveness in proactively recruited health care patients (HCPs). To address the importance of the sample selection when testing interventions, HCPs were compared to media recruited volunteers (MVs). METHOD: In a multicenter screening program 2,773 HCPs were screened for hazardous drinking and depressive symptoms. MVs were recruited via media solicitation. Over a period of 6 months, study participants received 6 individualized counseling letters and weekly short messages. Pre-post data were analyzed for 30 participants (15 HCPs, 15 MVs). Intervention acceptability was assessed in post-intervention interviews conducted with 32 study participants. RESULTS: MVs showed higher problem severity and motivation to change than HCPs. Over the course of the intervention both subsamples reduced regular binge drinking (HCPs: p = 0.016; MVs: p = 0.031) and depressiveness (HCPs: p = 0.020; MVs: p < 0.001). MVs further reduced average daily alcohol consumption (p = 0.034). The intervention received positive ratings from both subsamples, the alcohol module was rated more favorably by MVs than by HCPs (p = 0.012). Subsamples further differed in terms of intervention usage (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The intervention was technically and logistically feasible, well accepted, and may have the potential to reduce hazardous drinking and depressive symptoms in different populations. Subsamples differed in terms of problem severity, motivation to change, intervention usage, pre-post changes, and attitudes toward the intervention, showing that intervention development should involve the intended target populations to avoid biased conclusions on intervention effectiveness and acceptability.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: A pre-post pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of a fully automatized computer-based intervention targeting hazardous drinking and depressiveness in proactively recruited health care patients (HCPs). To address the importance of the sample selection when testing interventions, HCPs were compared to media recruited volunteers (MVs). METHOD: In a multicenter screening program 2,773 HCPs were screened for hazardous drinking and depressive symptoms. MVs were recruited via media solicitation. Over a period of 6 months, study participants received 6 individualized counseling letters and weekly short messages. Pre-post data were analyzed for 30 participants (15 HCPs, 15 MVs). Intervention acceptability was assessed in post-intervention interviews conducted with 32 study participants. RESULTS: MVs showed higher problem severity and motivation to change than HCPs. Over the course of the intervention both subsamples reduced regular binge drinking (HCPs: p = 0.016; MVs: p = 0.031) and depressiveness (HCPs: p = 0.020; MVs: p < 0.001). MVs further reduced average daily alcohol consumption (p = 0.034). The intervention received positive ratings from both subsamples, the alcohol module was rated more favorably by MVs than by HCPs (p = 0.012). Subsamples further differed in terms of intervention usage (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: The intervention was technically and logistically feasible, well accepted, and may have the potential to reduce hazardous drinking and depressive symptoms in different populations. Subsamples differed in terms of problem severity, motivation to change, intervention usage, pre-post changes, and attitudes toward the intervention, showing that intervention development should involve the intended target populations to avoid biased conclusions on intervention effectiveness and acceptability.
Authors: Judith Borghouts; Elizabeth Eikey; Gloria Mark; Cinthia De Leon; Stephen M Schueller; Margaret Schneider; Nicole Stadnick; Kai Zheng; Dana Mukamel; Dara H Sorkin Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2021-03-24 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Jennis Freyer-Adam; Filipa Krolo; Anika Tiede; Christian Goeze; Kornelia Sadewasser; Marie Spielmann; Kristian Krause; Ulrich John Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-09-19 Impact factor: 3.006
Authors: Maria J E Schouten; Carolien Christ; Jack J M Dekker; Heleen Riper; Anna E Goudriaan; Matthijs Blankers Journal: Alcohol Alcohol Date: 2022-01-08 Impact factor: 2.826