Controlled evaluation of a general practice-based brief intervention for excessive drinking.
In a controlled evaluation of general practitioner (GP)-based brief intervention, 378 excessive drinkers identified opportunistically by screening in 40 group practices in metropolitan Sydney were assigned to groups receiving: (i) a five-session intervention by the GP (the Alcoholscreen Program); (ii) a single session of 5 minutes' advice by the GP plus a self-help manual (minimal intervention); (iii) an alcohol-related assessment but no intervention; (iv) neither intervention nor assessment. Among all patients allocated to receive it, the Alcoholscreen Program did not result in a significantly greater reduction in consumption at follow-up than control conditions but patients offered Alcoholscreen reported a significantly greater reduction in alcohol-related problems in the period to 6 months follow-up. A greater proportion of patients who returned for the second Alcoholscreen visit were drinking below recommended levels at follow-up than in the remainder of the sample. There was no evidence that minimal intervention or alcohol-related assessment were effective in reducing alcohol consumption or problems. Implications for further research into GP-based brief interventions are discussed.
Richmond
R
R
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia.
Heather
N
N
Wodak
A
A
Kehoe
L
L
Webster
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D016896:Treatment Outcome