Adaptive Interventions for Problem Drinkers
Condition: Alcohol-Related Disorders; Alcohol Use Disorders; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Alcohol Abuse
MeSH terms: Alcoholism; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Alcohol Drinking
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      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.
    

Detailed description: 
      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.
    

Intervention name(s): Brief Advice; Motivational Interviewing; Behavioral Self-Control Training
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 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.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Drinking; Alcohol Problems; Alcoholism; Reduced Drinking; Problematic Drinking; Non-Abstinence-based Drinking; Controlled Drinking; Heavy Drinking