title: An intervention to increase alcohol treatment engagement: a pilot trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research has documented the difficulty individuals with alcohol use disorders have initiating alcohol treatment. This study assessed the feasibility of a brief, cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to increase treatment initiation among individuals with alcohol use disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized controlled trial included 196 participants who screened positive for a possible alcohol use disorder on the alcohol use disorders identification test. Randomly assigned intervention participants were administered a brief cognitive-behaviorally-based intervention by telephone designed to modify beliefs that may interfere with treatment-seeking behavior. Beliefs about treatment and treatment-seeking behavior were assessed postintervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants receiving the intervention had significantly improved their attitudes toward addiction treatment (p < .002) and increased their reported intention-to-seek treatment (p < .000) postintervention. Further, intervention participants were almost three times more likely to attend treatment within a 3-month period (odds ratio = 2.60, p < .025) than participants in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A brief, cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered by telephone and focused on modifying treatment-interfering beliefs holds promise for increasing alcohol treatment seeking among individuals in need.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Research Center, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA. tracy.stecker@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stecker
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000628:therapy*; D001290:Attitude; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D013689:Telephone; D055815:Young Adult