1. "Take Care of You" - Efficacy of integrated, minimal-guidance, internet-based self-help for reducing co-occurring alcohol misuse and depression symptoms in adults: Results of a three-arm randomized controlled trial.
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Baumgartner, Christian, Schaub, Michael P., Wenger, Andreas, Malischnig, Doris, Augsburger, Mareike, Lehr, Dirk, Blankers, Matthijs, Ebert, David D., and Haug, Severin
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SELF-help techniques , *SYMPTOMS , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *ADULTS , *ALCOHOL drinking , *ALCOHOL , *ALCOHOLISM treatment , *COMPLICATIONS of alcoholism , *RESEARCH , *INTERNET , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *EVALUATION research , *TREATMENT effectiveness , *COMPARATIVE studies , *MENTAL depression , *STATISTICAL sampling - Abstract
Background: Depression and harmful alcohol use are two of the top five leading causes of years of life lost to disability in high-income countries. Integrated treatment targeting both at the same time is often considered more complicated and difficult and, therefore, more expensive. Consequently, integrated internet-based interventions could be a valuable addition to traditional care.Methods: A three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing the effectiveness of (1) an integrated, minimal-guidance, adherence-focused self-help intervention designed to reduce both alcohol use and depression symptoms (AFGE-AD); (2) a similar intervention designed to reduce alcohol use only (AFGE-AO), and (3) internet access as usual (IAU) as a control condition, in at least moderately depressed alcohol misusers from February 2016-March 2020. We recruited 689 alcohol misusers (51.6 % males, mean age = 42.8 years) with at least moderate depression symptoms not otherwise in treatment from the general population. Six months after baseline, 288 subjects (41.8 %) were reachable for the final assessment.Results: All interventions yielded reduced alcohol-use after six months (AFGE-AD: -16.6; AFGE-AO: -19.8; IAU: -13.2). Those who undertook active-interventions reported significantly fewer standard drinks than controls (AFGE-AD: p = .048, d=0.10; AFGE-AO: p = .004, d=0.20). The two active-intervention groups also reported significantly less severe depression symptoms than controls (AFGE-AD: p = .006, d=0.41; AFGE-AO: p = .008, d=0.43). Testing revealed noninferiority between the two interventions.Conclusions: This study documented sustained effectiveness of the first integrated, fully internet-based self-help intervention developed for the reduction of both alcohol use and depression symptoms in at least moderately depressed adult alcohol misusers recruited from the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
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