Back to Search
Start Over
"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.
- Source :
-
Drug & Alcohol Dependence . Aug2021, Vol. 225, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>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.<bold>Methods: </bold>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.<bold>Results: </bold>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.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>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]
- Subjects :
- *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
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03768716
- Volume :
- 225
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Drug & Alcohol Dependence
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 151350204
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108806