A randomized controlled trial of a behavioral economic supplement to brief motivational interventions for college drinking.
OBJECTIVE
Behavioral economic theory suggests that a reduction in substance use is most likely when there is an increase in rewarding substance-free activities. The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the incremental efficacy of a novel behavioral economic supplement (Substance-Free Activity Session [SFAS]) to a standard alcohol brief motivational interviewing (BMI) session for heavy-drinking college students.


METHODS
Participants were 82 first-year college students (50% female; 81.7% White/European American; M age = 18.5 years, SD = 0.71) who reported 2 or more past-month heavy drinking episodes. After completing a baseline assessment and an individual alcohol-focused BMI, participants were randomized to either the SFAS or to a Relaxation Training (RT) control session. The SFAS was delivered in an MI style and attempted to increase the salience of delayed academic and career rewards and the patterns of behavior leading to those rewards.


RESULTS
The combination of an alcohol BMI plus the SFAS was associated with significantly greater reductions in alcohol problems compared with an alcohol BMI plus RT at the 1-month and 6-month follow-up assessments (p = .015, ηp² = .07), an effect that was partially mediated by increases in protective behavioral strategies. BMI + SFAS was also associated with greater reductions in heavy drinking among participants who at baseline reported low levels of substance-free reinforcement or symptoms of depression.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with behavioral economic theory and suggest that a single session focused on increasing engagement in alternatives to drinking can enhance the effects of brief alcohol interventions.
Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA. jgmurphy@memphis.edu
James G
JG
Murphy
Ashley A
AA
Dennhardt
Jessica R
JR
Skidmore
Brian
B
Borsari
Nancy P
NP
Barnett
Suzanne M
SM
Colby
Matthew P
MP
Martens
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult