title: Brief interventions are effective in reducing alcohol consumption in opiate-dependent methadone-maintained patients: results from an implementation study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An implementation study to test the feasibility and effectiveness of brief interventions (BIs) to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in opiate-dependent methadone-maintained patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before and after intervention comparison of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) scores from baseline to 3month follow up. Seven hundred and ten (82%) of the 863 eligible methadone-maintained patients within three urban addiction treatment clinics were screened. A World Health Organization protocol for a clinician-delivered single BI to reduce alcohol consumption was delivered. The full AUDIT questionnaire was used at baseline (T1) to measure alcohol consumption and related harms; and in part as a screening tool to exclude those who may be alcohol-dependent. AUDIT-C was used at 3month follow up (T2) to assess any changes in alcohol consumption. RESULTS. One hundred and sixty (23% of overall sample screened) 'AUDIT-positive' cases were identified at baseline screening with a mean total full AUDIT score of 13.5 (SD 6.7). There was a statistically significant reduction in AUDIT-C scores from T1 ( , SD=2.35) to T2 (, SD=2.66) for the BI group (z=-3.98, P<0.01). There was a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of men who were AUDIT-positive from T1 to T2 (χ(2) =8.25, P<0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is feasible for a range of clinicians to screen for problem alcohol use and deliver BI within community methadone clinics. Opiate-dependent patients significantly reduced their alcohol consumption as a result of receiving a BI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. catherine.darker@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Catherine D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Darker
authors.forename: Brion P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: Haytham O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: El Hassan
authors.forename: Bobby P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Jo-Hanna H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ivers
authors.forename: Joe M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D008691:Methadone