title: Effectiveness of a brief intervention for managing hazardous drinking problems of inpatients in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper is a report of a randomized control trial undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of the Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use in Taiwanese inpatients with hazardous drinking patterns.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use has been found to be as effective as medical and psychological treatments for individuals with alcohol use disorders in western countries. However, few studies have examined brief alcohol interventions for a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from the medical and surgical wards of a medical centre in northern Taiwan were enrolled if they had an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score >8. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 47), which received the Brief Intervention, and the control group (n = 48), which received no special psychosocial intervention except routine nursing care. Data were collected from February 2005 to March 2006 on hospitalized participants' demographic characteristics and alcohol use. Scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test were re-assessed over the telephone 6 months later by a trained assistant blinded to the treatment group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group had a significantly higher mean improved Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score and better outcomes in all three dimensions of the test than the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use is recommended for use in clinical settings to help Taiwanese inpatients with hazardous drinking patterns to improve their drinking problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Chu
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yun-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Fang-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chia-Yih
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult