Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Current Psychiatry Reports
Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports 5/2011

Open Access 01-10-2011

New Developments in Brief Interventions to Treat Problem Drinking in Nonspecialty Health Care Settings

Authors: Graeme B. Wilson, Nick Heather, Eileen F. S. Kaner

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 5/2011

Login to get access

Abstract

The delivery of brief interventions (BIs) in health care settings to reduce problematic alcohol consumption is a key preventive strategy for public health. However, evidence of effectiveness beyond primary care is inconsistent. Patient populations and intervention components are heterogeneous. Also, evidence for successful implementation strategies is limited. In this article, recent literature is reviewed covering BI effectiveness for patient populations and subgroups, and design and implementation of BIs. Support is evident for short-term effectiveness in hospital settings, but long-term effects may be confounded by changes in control groups. Limited evidence suggests effectiveness with young patients not admitted as a consequence of alcohol, dependent patients, and binge drinkers. Influential BI components include high-quality change plans and provider characteristics. Health professionals endorse BI and feel confident in delivering it, but training and support initiatives continue to show no significant effects on uptake, prompting calls for systematic approaches to implementing BI in health care.
Literature
1.
World Health Organization: Global Health Risks. WHO: Geneva; 2009.
2.
Kaner E, Beyer F, Dickinson H, et al. Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007;CD004148.
3.
Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational interviewing: Preparing people to change. New York: Guilford; 2002.
4.
Heather N. Developing, evaluating and implementing alcohol brief interventions in europe. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2011;30:138–47.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Kaner E. Nice work if you can get it: development of national guidance incorporating screening and brief intervention to prevent hazardous and harmful drinking in England. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:589–95.PubMedCrossRef
6.
Lavoie D. Alcohol identification and brief advice in England: a major plank in alcohol harm reduction policy. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:608–11.PubMedCrossRef
7.
Blow FC, Walton MA, Murray R, et al. Intervention attendance among emergency department patients with alcohol- and drug-use disorders. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010;71:713–9.PubMed
8.
Cunningham RM, Harrison SR, McKay MP, et al. National survey of emergency department alcohol screening and intervention practices. Ann Emerg Med. 2010;55:556–62.PubMedCrossRef
9.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Helping patients who drink too much: A Clinician’s guide. US Department of Health & Human Services: Rockville, MD; 2005.
10.
Charbonney E, McFarlan A, Haas B, et al. Alcohol, drugs and trauma: consequences, screening and intervention in 2009. Trauma. 2010;12:5–12.CrossRef
11.
Robinson RL. The advanced practice nurse role in instituting screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. J Trauma Nurs. 2010;17:74–9.PubMed
12.
Jepson RG, Harris FM, Platt S, Tannahill C. The effectiveness of interventions to change six health behaviours: a review of reviews. BMC Public Health. 2010;10:538.PubMedCrossRef
13.
Madras BK. Candidate performance measures for screening for, assessing, and treating unhealthy substance use in hospitals. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:72–3.PubMed
14.
Nilsen P, Kaner E, Babor TF. Brief intervention, three decades on: an overview of research findings and strategies for more widespread implementation. Nordic Studies Alcohol Drugs. 2008;25:453–67.
15.
Bischof G, Reinhardt S, Freyer-Adam J, et al. Severity of unhealthy alcohol consumption in medical inpatients and the general population: is the general hospital a suitable place for brief interventions? Int J Public Health. 2010;55:637–43.PubMedCrossRef
16.
Saitz R. Alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care: absence of evidence for efficacy in people with dependence or very heavy drinking. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:631–40.PubMedCrossRef
17.
Saitz R. Candidate performance measures for screening for, assessing, and treating unhealthy substance use in hospitals: advocacy or evidence-based practice? Ann Intern Med. 2010;153:40–3.PubMed
18.
Field CA, Baird J, Saitz R, et al. The mixed evidence for brief intervention in emergency departments, trauma care centers, and inpatient hospital settings: what should we do? Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010;34:2004–10.PubMedCrossRef
19.
Michie S, Abraham C, Eccles M, et al. Strengthening evaluation and implementation by specifying components of behaviour change interventions: a study protocol. Implement Sci. 2011;6:10.PubMedCrossRef
20.
• Bernstein JA, Bernstein E, and Heeren TC: Mechanisms of change in control group drinking in clinical trials of brief alcohol intervention: implications for bias toward the null. Drug and Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:498–507. This is a systematic review on the key issue of control group change, with recommendations for addressing this in future research. PubMedCrossRef
21.
Seigers DKL, Carey KB. Screening and brief interventions for alcohol use in college health centers: a review. J Am Coll Health. 2010;59:151–8.PubMedCrossRef
22.
McCormick R, Docherty B, Segura L, et al. The research translation problem: alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care: real world evidence supports theory. Drugs Educ Prev Policy. 2010;17:732–48.CrossRef
23.
Fleming MF, Balousek SL, Grossberg PM, et al. Brief physician advice for heavy drinking college students: a randomized controlled trial in college health clinics. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010;71:23–31.PubMed
24.
Noknoy S, Rangsin R, Saengcharnchai P, et al. RCT of effectiveness of motivational enhancement therapy delivered by nurses for hazardous drinkers in primary care units in Thailand. Alcohol Alcohol. 2010;45:263–70.PubMed
25.
Moore AA, Blow FC, Hoffing M, et al. Primary care-based intervention to reduce at-risk drinking in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2010;106:111–20.CrossRef
26.
Lin JC, Karno MP, Tang LQ, et al. Do health educator telephone calls reduce at-risk drinking among older adults in primary care? J Gen Intern Med. 2011;25:334–9.CrossRef
27.
Kaner E, Brown N, Jackson K. A systematic review of the impact of brief interventions on sustance use and co-morbid physical and mental health conditions. Ment Health Susbt Use 2011;4:38–61.
28.
Bernstein E, Bernstein J, Feldman J, et al. The impact of screening, brief intervention and referral for treatment in emergency department patients’ alcohol use: a 3-, 6-and 12-month follow-up. Alcohol Alcohol. 2010;45:514–9.
29.
Bager P, Vilstrup H. Post-discharge brief intervention increases the frequency of alcohol abstinence—a randomized trial. J Addict Nurs. 2010;21:37–41.CrossRef
30.
Cherpitel CJ, Korcha RA, Moskalewicz J, et al. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT): 12-month outcomes of a randomized controlled clinical trial in a Polish emergency department. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010;34:1922–8.PubMedCrossRef
31.
Daeppen JB, Bertholet N, Gaume J. What process research tells us about brief intervention efficacy. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:612–6.PubMedCrossRef
32.
Hermansson U, Helander A, Brandt L, et al. Screening and brief intervention for risky alcohol consumption in the workplace: results of a 1-year randomized controlled study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2010;45:252–7.PubMed
33.
Liu S-I, Wu S-I, Chen S-C, et al. Randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in hospitalized Taiwanese men. Addiction. 2011;106:928–40.PubMedCrossRef
34.
McCambridge JIM. Research assessments: instruments of bias and brief interventions of the future? Addiction. 2009;104:1311–2.PubMedCrossRef
35.
Jenkins RJ, McAlaney J, McCambridge J. Change over time in alcohol consumption in control groups in brief intervention studies: systematic review and meta-regression study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009;100:107–14.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Bray JW, Cowell AJ, Hinde JM. A systematic review and meta-analysis of health care utilization outcomes in alcohol screening and brief intervention trials. Medical Care. 2011;49:287–94.PubMedCrossRef
37.
Walton MA, Chermack ST, Shope JT, et al. Effects of a brief intervention for reducing violence and alcohol misuse among adolescents: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2010;304:527–35.PubMedCrossRef
38.
Barnett NP, Apodaca TR, Magill M, et al. Moderators and mediators of two brief interventions for alcohol in the emergency department. Addiction. 2010;105:452–65.PubMedCrossRef
39.
Crawford MJ, Csipke E, Brown A, et al. The effect of referral for brief intervention for alcohol misuse on repetition of deliberate self-harm: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med. 40:1821–28.
40.
Rubio G, Jimenez-Arriero MA, Martinez I, et al. Efficacy of physician-delivered brief counseling intervention for binge drinkers. Am J Med. 2010;123:72–8.PubMedCrossRef
41.
•• Field CA and Caetano R: The effectiveness of brief intervention among injured patients with alcohol dependence: who benefits from brief interventions? Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010;111:13–20. This was a robust large-scale study countering prevailing opinion regarding the efficacy of BIs for dependent drinkers. PubMedCrossRef
42.
Krupski A, Sears JM, Joesch JM, et al. Impact of brief interventions and brief treatment on admissions to chemical dependency treatment. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010;110:126–36.PubMedCrossRef
43.
Corrigan JD, Bogner J, Hungerford DW, Schomer K. Screening and brief intervention for substance misuse among patients with traumatic brain injury. J Trauma. 2010;69:722–6.PubMedCrossRef
44.
Grossberg P, Halperin A, Mackenzie S, et al. Inside the physician’s black bag: critical ingredients of brief alcohol interventions. Subst Abus. 2010;31:240–50.PubMedCrossRef
45.
Lee CS, Baird J, Longabaugh R, et al. Change plan as an active ingredient of brief motivational interventions for reducing negative consequences of drinking in hazardous drinking emergency-department patients. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010;71:726–33.PubMed
46.
Field C, Caetano R. The role of ethnic matching between patient and provider on the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions with Hispanics. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010;34:262–71.PubMedCrossRef
47.
Rose GL, MacLean CD, Skelly J, et al. Interactive voice response technology can deliver alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care. J Gen Intern Med. 2010;25:340–4.PubMedCrossRef
48.
Rose GL, Skelly JM, Badger GJ, et al. Automated screening for at-risk drinking in a primary care office using interactive voice response. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010;71:734–8.PubMed
49.
Carroll K, Rounsaville B. Computer-assisted therapy in psychiatry: Be brave—it’s a new world. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2010;12:426–32.PubMedCrossRef
50.
Khadjesari Z, Murray E, Hewitt C, et al. Can stand-alone computer-based interventions reduce alcohol consumption? A systematic review. Addiction. 2011;106:267–82.PubMedCrossRef
51.
Trinks A, Festin K, Bendtsen P, Nilsen P. Reach and effectiveness of a computer-based alcohol intervention in a swedish emergency room. Int Emerg Nurs. 2010;18:138–46.PubMedCrossRef
52.
Vaca F, Winn D, Anderson C, et al. Feasibility of emergency department bilingual computerized alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. Subst Abus. 2010;31:264–9.PubMedCrossRef
53.
Jeon B, Noh H, Kim C, et al. Does the drinking behavior of interns and residents affect their attitudes toward the screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) regarding alcohol? Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine. 2010;21:495–503.
54.
Amaral MB, Ronzani TM, Souza-Formigoni MLO. Process evaluation of the implementation of a screening and brief intervention program for alcohol risk in primary health care: an experience in Brazil. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010;29:162–8.PubMedCrossRef
55.
Groves P, Pick S, Davis P, et al. Routine alcohol screening and brief interventions in general hospital in-patient wards: acceptability and barriers. Drug-Educ Prev Policy. 2010;17:55–71.CrossRef
56.
Shepherd S, Young L, Clarkson JE, et al. General dental practitioner views on providing alcohol related health advice; an exploratory study. Br Dent J. 2010;208.
57.
Susic TP, Kersnik J, Kolsek M. Why do general practitioners not screen and intervene regarding alcohol consumption in Slovenia? A focus group study. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2010;122:68–73.CrossRef
58.
Carlfjord S, Johansson K, Bendtsen P, et al. Staff perspectives on the use of a computer-based concept for lifestyle intervention implemented in primary health care. Health Educ J. 2010;69:246–56.CrossRef
59.
Wilson GB, Lock CA, Heather N, et al. Intervention against excessive alcohol consumption in primary health care: a survey of GPs’ attitudes and practices in England ten years on. Alcohol & Alcoholism 2011. doi:10.​1093/​alcalc/​agr067
60.
Kaner E, Rapley T, May C. Seeing through the glass darkly? A qualitative exploration of GPs’ drinking and their alcohol intervention practices. Fam Pract. 2006;23:481–7.PubMedCrossRef
61.
Ruf D, Berner M, Kriston L, et al. Cluster-randomized controlled trial of dissemination strategies of an online quality improvement programme for alcohol-related disorders. Alcohol Alcohol. 2010;45:70–8.PubMed
62.
Williams EC, Lapham G, Achtmeyer CE, et al. Use of an electronic clinical reminder for brief alcohol counseling is associated with resolution of unhealthy alcohol use at follow-up screening. J Gen Intern Med. 2010;25:11–7.PubMedCrossRef
63.
Rose GL, Plante DA, Thomas CS, et al. Utility of prompting physicians for brief alcohol consumption intervention. Subst Use Misuse. 2010;45:936–50.PubMedCrossRef
64.
Nygaard P. and Aasland OG: Barriers to implementing screening and brief interventions in general practice: findings from a qualitative study in Norway. Alcohol Alcohol. 2011;46:52–60.PubMed
65.
Nygaard P, Paschall MJ, Aasland OG, Lund KE. Use and barriers to use of screening and brief interventions for alcohol problems among Norwegian general practitioners. Alcohol Alcohol. 2010;45:207–12.PubMed
66.
Nilsen PER. Brief alcohol intervention research and practice—towards a broader perspective. Addiction. 2010;105:964–5.CrossRef
67.
68.
Tsai YF, Tsai MC, Lin YP, et al. Facilitators and barriers to intervening for problem alcohol use. J Adv Nurs. 2010;66:1459–68.PubMedCrossRef
69.
• Swedish National Institute Of Public Health: Alcohol issues in daily healthcare: the risk drinking project—background, strategy and results. Swedish National Institute Of Public Health: Stockholm; 2010. This reports on an unprecedented initiative coordinated at national and organizational levels to implement BIs in health care settings.
Metadata
Title
New Developments in Brief Interventions to Treat Problem Drinking in Nonspecialty Health Care Settings
Authors
Graeme B. Wilson
Nick Heather
Eileen F. S. Kaner
Publication date
01-10-2011
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 5/2011
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-011-0219-x

Other articles of this Issue 5/2011

Current Psychiatry Reports 5/2011 Go to the issue

ReviewPaper

Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment and Cardiovascular Implications

ReviewPaper

The Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics of Reinforcer Pathologies: Implications for Etiology and Treatment of Addiction

ReviewPaper

Updates on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disorders

ReviewPaper

Barriers to Use of Pharmacotherapy for Addiction Disorders and How to Overcome Them

ReviewPaper

Advances in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

ReviewPaper

Update on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Tic Disorders: A Review of the Current Literature