title: A randomized clinical trial of a brief motivational intervention for alcohol-positive adolescents treated in an emergency department.
abstract: We tested whether a brief motivational interview (MI) would reduce alcohol-related consequences and use among adolescents treated in an emergency department (ED) after an alcohol-related event. Patients aged 13 to 17 years (N = 152) with a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by lab test or self-report were recruited in the ED and randomly assigned to receive either MI or standard care (SC). Both conditions resulted in reduced quantity of drinking during the 12-month follow-up, whereas alcohol-related negative consequences were relatively low and stayed low at follow-up. Adolescents who screened positive for problematic alcohol use at baseline reported significantly more improvement on 2 of 3 alcohol use outcomes (average number of drinking days per month and frequency of high-volume drinking) if they received MI compared with SC. We conclude that brief interventions are recommended for adolescents who present to an ED with an alcohol-related event and report preexisting problematic alcohol use.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. anthony_spirito@brown.edu
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spirito
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Colby
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sindelar
authors.forename: Damaris J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rohsenow
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lewander
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires