title: A randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention for illicit drugs linked to the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in clients recruited from primary health-care settings in four countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief intervention (BI) for illicit drugs (cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants and opioids) linked to the World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). The ASSIST screens for problem or risky use of 10 psychoactive substances, producing a score for each substance that falls into either a low-, moderate- or high-risk category.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized controlled trial in which participants were either assigned to a 3-month waiting-list control condition or received brief motivational counselling lasting an average of 13.8 minutes for the drug receiving the highest ASSIST score.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health-care settings in four countries: Australia, Brazil, India and the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 731 males and females scoring within the moderate-risk range of the ASSIST for cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants or opioids.
  
  
  METHODS
  ASSIST-specific substance involvement scores for cannabis, stimulants or opioids and ASSIST total illicit substance involvement score at baseline and 3 months post-randomization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Omnibus analyses indicated that those receiving the BI had significantly reduced scores for all measures, compared with control participants. Country-specific analyses showed that, with the exception of the site in the United States, BI participants had significantly lower ASSIST total illicit substance involvement scores at follow-up compared with the control participants. The sites in India and Brazil demonstrated a very strong brief intervention effect for cannabis scores (P < 0.005 for both sites), as did the sites in Australia (P < 0.005) and Brazil (P < 0.01) for stimulant scores and the Indian site for opioid scores (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test-linked brief intervention aimed at reducing illicit substance use and related risks is effective, at least in the short term, and the effect generalizes across countries.
authors: DASSA WHO Collaborating Centre for Research into the Treatment of Drug and Alcohol Problems, Department of Pharmacology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. rachel.humeniuk@adelaide.edu.au
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Humeniuk
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Ali
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Babor
authors: Maria Lucia O
authors: ML
authors: Souza-Formigoni
authors: Roseli Boerngen
authors: RB
authors: de Lacerda
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Ling
authors: Bonnie
authors: B
authors: McRee
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Newcombe
authors: Hemraj
authors: H
authors: Pal
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Poznyak
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Simon
authors: Janice
authors: J
authors: Vendetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs