Controlled evaluation of a general practice-based brief intervention for excessive drinking.

R Richmond; N Heather; A Wodak; L Kehoe; I Webster

doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.1995.90111915.x

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Controlled evaluation of a general practice-based brief intervention for excessive drinking.

R Richmond·N Heather·A Wodak·L Kehoe·I Webster

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Abstract

In a controlled evaluation of general practitioner (GP)-based brief intervention, 378 excessive drinkers identified opportunistically by screening in 40 group practices in metropolitan Sydney were assigned to groups receiving: (i) a five-session intervention by the GP (the Alcoholscreen Program); (ii) a single session of 5 minutes' advice by the GP plus a self-help manual (minimal intervention); (iii) an alcohol-related assessment but no intervention; (iv) neither intervention nor assessment. Among all patients allocated to receive it, the Alcoholscreen Program did not result in a significantly greater reduction in consumption at follow-up than control conditions but patients offered Alcoholscreen reported a significantly greater reduction in alcohol-related problems in the period to 6 months follow-up. A greater proportion of patients who returned for the second Alcoholscreen visit were drinking below recommended levels at follow-up than in the remainder of the sample. There was no evidence that minimal intervention or alcohol-related assessment were effective in reducing alcohol consumption or problems. Implications for further research into GP-based brief interventions are discussed.

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R Richmond, N Heather, A Wodak, L Kehoe, I Webster. 1995. Controlled evaluation of a general practice-based brief intervention for excessive drinking.. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.1995.90111915.x

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