NCT01754090

Testing the Efficacy of an Online Alcohol Intervention

Digital Therapy: Evaluation of the Fully Automated Alcohol Intervention "Balance".

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 244 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Oslo · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to test whether an online multi session alcohol intervention improves treatment effect compared to single session screening with feedback only. All participants in the trial received a single session screening procedure including individualized normative feedback (usual care). Additionally, half of the participants received a simple online booklet about the effects of alcohol. The other half received an online multi session follow up program.

Detailed description

Aims: Test whether a multi session alcohol intervention improves treatment effect (i.e., reduced consumption of alcohol) compared to single session screening with feedback. Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). Subjects in both conditions receives a single session screening procedure including individualized normative feedback. The control group receives an online booklet about the effects of alcohol. The treatment group receives the multi session follow up program "Balance" . Setting: Online study in Norway. Participants: At-risk drinkers is recruited through internet advertisements and randomly assigned to one of two conditions.

Conditions

• Hazardous Drinking
• Harmful Drinking

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Online screening and feedback	An online single session screening procedure including individualized normative feedback.
BEHAVIORAL	Online booklet.	An online booklet that covers general information about alcohol, its effect on the brain and the body, potential risks and harms of drinking, and an account of the threshold values of sensible drinking
BEHAVIORAL	Online multi session follow-up	An online multi session follow-up program (i.e., "Balance"). The central concept of Balance is to support continued self-regulation throughout the behavior change process. There are four key aspects of the program, the first is focus on goal setting and tracking of alcohol consumption on a day-to-day basis. The second on relapse prevention - for example, when clients report drinking more than their target, they receive individualized content aimed at preventing a full blown relapse. The third is emotion regulation, where content and assignments from positive psychology and from cognitive behavioral therapy are used. Finally, intervention covers alcohol education (i.e. the same topics as in the booklet provided to the control group).

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-04-01
• Primary completion: 2012-06-01
• Completion: 2012-06-01
• First posted: 2012-12-21
• Last updated: 2017-09-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway