title: Effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting: systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline, PsychInfo, Cochrane Library, reference lists from identified studies and review articles, and contact with experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Change in alcohol consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight studies were retrieved. Most had methodological weaknesses. Only one study, with a relatively intensive intervention and a short follow up period, showed a significantly large reduction in alcohol consumption in the intervention group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence for the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions in a general hospital setting for problem drinkers is still inconclusive.
authors.affiliation: Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, PO Box 3907 1001 AS Amsterdam, Netherlands. emmen@aiar.nl
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Emmen
authors.forename: Gerard M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.forename: Gijs
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bleijenberg
authors.forename: Hub
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wollersheim
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000628:therapy*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome