Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: University of Memphis

Must not be taking: Prescription drugs, Illegal drugs

Disqualifiers: Psychosis, AUD/SUD treatment, others

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention approach for non-student emerging adults that attempts to reduce alcohol use by decreasing stress and increasing engagement in positive and goal-directed activities that provide meaningful alternatives to alcohol use.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are using prescription drugs nonmedically or illegal drugs (except cannabis) weekly or more, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism?

Research shows that Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) can reduce drinking among at-risk drinkers and help decrease alcohol-related harm. These interventions provide individuals with a stigma-free opportunity to learn about the risks of drinking and encourage help-seeking behavior.

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Is the behavioral intervention for alcoholism safe for humans?

Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) for alcohol use are generally considered safe and are widely used in healthcare settings to help reduce alcohol-related harm. They provide a stigma-free opportunity for individuals to learn about the risks of drinking and encourage help-seeking behavior without reported safety concerns.

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How is the Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism treatment different from other treatments for alcoholism?

This treatment is unique because it combines various behavioral techniques like relaxation training and substance-free activities with screening and brief interventions (SBI), which are designed to reduce alcohol consumption by encouraging self-reflection and behavior change. Unlike traditional treatments that may focus solely on abstinence or medication, this approach integrates wellness and mindfulness practices to address both alcohol use and mental health issues simultaneously.

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Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for non-student emerging adults aged 18-29 who drink heavily but aren't currently using drugs (except cannabis) or seeking addiction treatment. They must speak English, be able to read at a 9th-grade level, and have had multiple heavy drinking episodes recently.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 18 and 29 years old.

Not a current student or graduate of a 4-year college with no plans to enroll in a 4-year college in the upcoming semester

Stable domicile and contact information

Exclusion Criteria

Current or past psychosis

Current self-initiated AUD/SUD treatment

Weekly or greater nonmedical use of prescription drugs or illegal drugs except cannabis

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive either BAI+SFAS or RT+SFAS interventions, or an education control session

2 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and stress at multiple intervals

12 months

Assessments at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention

Participant Groups

The study tests if stress reduction and engaging in positive activities can help reduce alcohol use among young adults. It compares an educational control with substance-free activity sessions, brief alcohol interventions, and relaxation training.

Group I: Relaxation Training (RT) + Substance Free Activity Session (SFAS) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will complete a relaxation training session that will include a clinician leading them through a diaphragmatic breathing exercise, a progressive muscle relaxation protocol, and then a brief breath-counting (mindfulness) exercise. A week later, the participant will receive the SFAS, a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the individual's goals, to highlight the connection between their current patterns of behavior (including drinking and substance-free activities) and the attainment of these goals, and to increase future orientation and engagement in enjoyable and goal-directed activities that are inconsistent with substance use (even if the participant has no desire to change their use).

Group II: Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) + Substance Free Activity Session (SFAS) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants first receive a 50-minute standard brief motivational intervention designed to reduce alcohol use. A week later, they will receive the Substance-free activity session (SFAS), a 50-minute counseling session designed to increase the salience of the individual's goals, to highlight the connection between their current patterns of behavior (including drinking and substance-free activities) and the attainment of these goals, and to increase future orientation and engagement in enjoyable and goal-directed activities that are inconsistent with substance use (even if the participant has no desire to change their use).

Group III: Education Control Active Control 1 Intervention

This minimal contact control condition will include a brief (2-3 minute) discussion where the research assistant (RA) who completed the assessment session will describe the educational handout. This condition is meant to approximate a public health-level approach to providing referral information and some of the content included in the BAI+SFAS condition but without any of the personalized information or motivational interviewing. Participants will receive information on risks associated with alcohol/drug misuse, strategies for reducing alcohol problems, managing stress, and goal-setting. The handout will also include links to hotlines, websites, and apps related to these domains. This condition will not include booster contact

Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) is already approved in European Union, United States, Canada, Australia for the following indications:

🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as Brief Alcohol Intervention for:

• Reducing alcohol misuse
• Preventing alcohol-related harms

🇺🇸 Approved in United States as Screening and Brief Intervention for:

• Reducing hazardous drinking
• Preventing alcohol-related injuries

🇨🇦 Approved in Canada as Identification and Brief Advice for:

• Reducing excessive drinking
• Preventing alcohol-related chronic diseases

🇦🇺 Approved in Australia as Alcohol Brief Intervention for:

• Reducing risky drinking
• Preventing alcohol-related social problems

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations Nearby Select from list below to view details:

University of Memphis Memphis, TN

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Memphis Lead Sponsor

References

1. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of a medical student alcohol intervention workshop using recovering alcoholics as simulated patients. [2021] Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) reduces drinking among at-risk drinkers. Lack of training and negative attitudes represents a barrier to SBI performance. This study evaluates the impact of a medical student workshop using recovering alcoholics in simulated patient interviews to teach SBI skills.

2. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary Clinical Outcomes of the Hello Sunday Morning Alcohol and Wellbeing Self-Assessment: Feasibility and Acceptability Study. [2023] Alcohol-related injuries and diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early intervention is essential given the chronic, relapsing nature of alcohol use disorders. There is significant potential for widely accessible web-based screening tools to help individuals determine where they stand in terms of alcohol use and provide support recommendations. Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) provide individuals with a stigma-free opportunity to learn and think about the potential risks of drinking and prompt help-seeking behavior by incorporating behavior change techniques. Furthermore, as excessive alcohol use and mental health problems often occur concurrently, SBIs for both conditions simultaneously can potentially address a critical gap in alcohol and mental health treatment.

3. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Non-medical management of disorders of the use of alcohol]. [2020] Non-medical management of disorders of the use of alcohol. Regardless of psychosocial intervention type, the therapist personal skills are critical to its effectiveness: empathic and supportive attitude, clear focus on therapeutic objectives, and prompting autonomy. Psychosocial treatment intensity should be adapted to alcohol use disorder severity. Brief interventions aim subjects with a mild alcohol use disorders, whereas specialized psychosocial interventions are usually offered to dependent patients. The nonconfrontational style and principles of motivational interviewing are recommended in the treatment of alcohol use disorders, as it improves the effectiveness of more intensive psychosocial interventions. The main motivational components of the psychosocial intervention are patient-centered: to focus on personal choice and concerns, to value successes as small successes, and to avoid labeling or forcing resistance. The main components of the alcohol reduction oriented interventions are to value the daily alcohol use monitoring, to clarify the objectives in terms of alcohol use, to flag and positively reinforce success, and to encourage the development of concrete strategies to cope with residual difficulties. Finally, the main components of the abstinence maintenance oriented interventions are highlighting the benefits related to abstinence and encouraging the development of alcohol craving coping skills.

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized-controlled trial of a telephone and mail intervention for alcohol use disorders: three-month drinking outcomes. [2021] Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to specialized treatment (ASBIR) reduce drinking and related harms. Unanswered questions are how to manage nondependent patients with poor response to brief interventions, how to manage dependent patients who do not obtain treatment, and how to ensure population-wide delivery of ASBIR. Telephone-administered counseling may provide answers.

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparative review of guides for implementing alcohol screening and brief interventions into trauma and primary care settings. [2015] The likelihood that a patient is currently using alcohol is high across all health care settings with almost one in four persons in the United States aged 12 years or over reporting excessive drinking on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is an evidence-based approach to help decrease alcohol-related harm among persons seeking health care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons, have provided guidelines for implementation of an SBI program within a health care organization. This column provides a comparative overview of three of these guides. These guides provide practical information to help nurses and other health care providers with the planning and implementation of alcohol SBI into routine practice.

6. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief alcohol intervention in alcohol involved facial fracture patients-a survey of patient attitudes to screening and intervention. [2018] Alcohol intoxication is an important contributor to traumatic facial injuries. The period following injuries afford clinicians a useful window of opportunity to provide alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) which may affect changes in patients' future drinking behaviour. Although SBI has been reported to decrease at risk drinking and potentially trauma recurrence, it is not routinely utilised in most clinical settings in the world. This study aims to assess utilisation of, as well as patients' knowledge and attitude towards SBI in the management of patients presenting with alcohol-related facial fractures.

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief intervention and social work: a primer for practice and policy. [2015] Most individuals in need of help for alcohol use disorders do not receive care. Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is an evidence-based practice for reducing at-risk drinking and alcohol-related risk behaviors. Health care reform sets the stage for a large expansion of SBI to individuals in the United States. Social workers have the opportunity to play an important role in helping establish SBI nationally, but they must become more involved in its delivery, educating new social workers with respect to SBI practice, and taking part in research to expand the field's knowledge of this service.

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized controlled trial to evaluate screening and brief intervention for drug-using multiethnic emergency and trauma department patients. [2021] Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is a comprehensive, integrated public health approach to identify and deliver a spectrum of early detection and intervention services for substance use in general medical care settings. Although the SBI approach has shown promise for alcohol use, relatively little is known about its effectiveness for illicit drug use. We are evaluating the SBI approach for drug use using a rigorous randomized controlled trial. The purpose of the report is to describe the overall trial and its programmatic and methodological strengths with a focus on health educator (HE) selection and training. In addition, the baseline characteristics of the recently enrolled multiethnic cohort are described.