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Therapeutics
Review: brief interventions reduce drinking in patients not seeking treatment

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebm.7.5.150

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    (2002) Addiction 97, 279; Moyer A, Finney JW, Swearingen CE, et al.. Brief interventions for alcohol problems: a meta-analytic review of controlled investigations in treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking populations.. Mar;. :. –92.
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 QUESTION: In people with alcohol problems, are brief interventions effective for reducing drinking?

    Data sources

    Studies were identified by searching {Medline, PsycINFO, Dissertation Abstracts, and the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database (from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)}* and by scanning citations in relevant studies.

    Study selection

    Studies were selected if the intervention did not exceed 4 sessions and if > 1 group was evaluated (1 of which did not receive a brief intervention). Studies were excluded if they did not report results for alcohol-use disorders separately from other substance-use disorders or if the brief intervention aimed to discourage alcohol drinking in pregnant women.

    Data extraction

    Data were extracted on participants, intervention, and outcomes (including alcohol consumption [quantity and time], abstinence, and drinking without problems). Drinking related outcomes were aggregated, and effect sizes were calculated.

    Main results

    56 studies were included. 34 studies compared brief interventions with control conditions in people who were not seeking treatment; 79% of these studies excluded people with alcohol dependence, heavy drinking, or previous treatment for alcohol problems. A benefit in the aggregate outcome was seen for brief interventions at ≤ 3 months (4 studies), > 3 to 6 months (11 studies), and > 6 to 12 months (23 studies), but …

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    Footnotes

    • Source of funding: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

    • For correspondence: Dr A Moyer, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA. anne.moyer{at}sunysb.edu.

    • Abstract and commentary also appear in Evidence-Based Mental Health.

    • ↵* Information provided by author.