The purpose of this study is to understand how certain interventions help people reduce or quit their drinking and how certain interventions may help best at certain points in time in the change process.
Problem drinkers (PDs) represent a majority of the estimated 32 million Americans with alcohol problems that spans a spectrum of severity from individuals who drink excessively and experience of occasional negative consequences to those with moderate Alcohol Dependence (AD) and intact psychosocial functioning. PDs can benefit from relatively brief treatment that could be delivered in mainstream healthcare, but less than 5% receive such care. In addition, PD treatment is only modestly effective, and there is a surprising absence of empirical research to guide PD treatment selection. Adaptive Interventions (AI) are a novel approach to treatment development that may have significant advantages over fixed treatments in improving efficacy and fostering adoption of Evidence Based Practices in mainstream healthcare. If study aims are achieved, a set of empirically-derived decision support tools will be created to guide Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) care similar to tools that exist for other chronic diseases. In addition, new knowledge will be gained about Mechanisms of Behavior Change of AUD that can guide future AUD treatment research. Finally, important progress will be made in methods that capitalize on the remarkable advances in sensor technologies, advanced mathematics, and engineering to create a new type of tailored, near-real time feedback, adaptive behavior therapies.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
164
Brief Advice (BA) consists of a 20-minute session delivered by a study therapist, adhering to the NIAAA's Clinician Guide to Problem Drinkers. It includes personalized, normative feedback based on NIAAA drinking norms, goal selection, instructions on self-monitoring, discussion of drink reduction strategies, and distribution of the NIAAA bibliotherapy guide.
Motivational Interviewing will consist of standard techniques, such as developing discrepancy, enhancing motivation, and developing a change plan, that have been adapted to treatment for problem drinkers.
Behavioral Self-Control Training will consist of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy adapted to problem drinkers, whose core components include a functional analysis, skills training, daily self-monitoring, homework, and graded exposures and mastery of high risk situations.
Northwell Health
Great Neck, New York, United States
Time Line Follow Back
Calendar-based method of recording drinking patterns. Data will be aggregated into summary variables.
Time frame: 24 Weeks
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