title: Brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: This study reports findings from a meta-analysis summarizing the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents (age 11-18) and young adults (age 19-30). We identified 185 eligible study samples using a comprehensive literature search and synthesized findings using random-effects meta-analyses with robust standard errors. Overall, brief alcohol interventions led to significant reductions in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among adolescents (g = 0.27 and g = 0.19) and young adults (g = 0.17 and g = 0.11). These effects persisted for up to 1 year after intervention and did not vary across participant demographics, intervention length, or intervention format. However, certain intervention modalities (e.g., motivational interviewing) and components (e.g., decisional balance, goal-setting exercises) were associated with larger effects. We conclude that brief alcohol interventions yield beneficial effects on alcohol-related outcomes for adolescents and young adults that are modest but potentially worthwhile given their brevity and low cost.
authors.affiliation: Peabody Research Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. Electronic address: e.tanner-smith@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Emily E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Tanner-Smith
authors.affiliation: Peabody Research Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lipsey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; Brief alcohol intervention; Meta-analysis; Systematic review; Young adults