Social Media Alcohol Intervention

Overview

Social media provides frequent interaction with online social networks, increasing exposure to peer influences, which could affect alcohol use in negative or positive ways. The proposed study will recruit adolescents and emerging adults using social media ads, and conduct online screening, enrolling 975 risky drinkers in a randomized controlled trial comparing three conditions: 8-week Social Media Intervention + Incentives, 8-week Social Media Intervention Only, and an e-news attention control condition. These innovative design features will provide the critical next step in harnessing social media to reduce alcohol misuse, which could have enormous public health impact by altering the alcohol use trajectories of youth.

The proposed study will recruit adolescents and emerging adults (ages 16-24) using social media ads and conduct online screening, enrolling 975 risky drinkers (i.e., using AUDIT-C screener) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing three conditions: 1) Social Media Intervention + Incentives (n=325), 2) Social Media Intervention Only (n=325), and 3) Attention Control E-News condition (n=325), with post baseline follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months. Interventions will include access for 8 weeks to unique, secret group pages facilitated by e-coaches (supervised by therapists), with dynamic content emphasizing reducing alcohol use/misuse as well as concomitant risk behaviors (other drug use based on co-ingestion and common motives for use).

Conditions