NCT07381868

Social Media Psychosocial Support Group in Reducing Alcohol Consumption

Social Media Psychosocial Support Group to Reduce Alcohol Consumption in Women: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This proposed study aims to develop and examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a proactive intervention model that combines brief psychological counselling, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and social media psychosocial support group to reduce alcohol consumption in women.

Detailed description

Targeted participants are adult women with a total a total score≥3 in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C). Sixty participants will be actively recruited from the social media platform in Hong Kong. This study will be a two-arm (allocation ratio:1:1; permutated block size of 2, 4, and 8), single blinded, parallel, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with follow-ups at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-enrollment using consolidated standards of reporting (CONSORT) to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The control group will receive an evidence-based intervention composed of brief psychological counselling and health education, 4-week EMA and social media psychosocial support group, guided by comprehensive assessment. Surveys will be collected via telephone. Semi-structured individual telephone or face-to-face indepth interviews will be conducted with the participants in the intervention group to understand the experience and the perceptions towards the EMA data collection and ocial media psychosocial support group intervention on alcohol consumption. The clinical outcome of this study will be the difference in the alcohol consumption, anxiety and depressive levels, stress levels, and family well-being between the two groups at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.

Conditions

• Alcohol
• mHealth Intervention

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	mHealth-based motivational counselling	The mHealth intervention will be delivered via the most popular instant messaging app in Hong Kong (WhatsApp). A total of 12 instant messages of six themes in multi-media formats, including text, pictures, animation, and short videos, will be sent to the participants according to the stages of change for alcohol use. Pre-contemplation: provide information about the risks of drinking; Contemplation: Emphasize the benefits of reduction and quitting, discuss alcohol problems and achievable goals for reduction or quitting; Preparation: discuss goal and give advice and encouragement; Action: review advice and provide encouragement; and Maintenance: give encouragement.Using a more personalized approach, the messages will be tailored to the participants' motivation, intention to quit and other quitting patterns collected at baseline. Real-time conversations could be initiated by participants themselves, triggered by regular messages, or through prompt inquires.
BEHAVIORAL	Brief alcohol use counselling and health education	After randomization and baseline data collection, participants will be linked to an experienced behavior counsellor and to receive a brief alcohol use counselling with health education, including health risks in alcohol use, advice to reduce alcohol consumption and available alcohol use services in Hong Kong with self-help psychoeducational materials. Guided by WHO, personal feedback will be provided according to Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score: 8-15 indicates at-risk for alcohol use, 16-19 indicates potentially harmful or hazardous drinking, and ≥20 indicates alcohol dependence. For subjects with potential risky drinking (3-8), AUDIT score will be explained and readiness to change drinking habits will be assessed.
BEHAVIORAL	Social media group support with engagement management	The behavior counsellor will invite the participants to join a psychological support group for interactive counselling. Counsellor will lead the discussion and provide counselling according to the stages of change for alcohol use. Pre-contemplation: provide information about the risks of drinking; Contemplation: Emphasize the benefits of reduction and quitting, discuss alcohol problems and achievable goals for reduction or quitting; Preparation: discuss goal and give advice and encouragement; Action: review advice and provide encouragement; and Maintenance: give encouragement. Participants will be encouraged to interact with counsellor on any concerns about healthy lifestyle, mood fluctuation, and other ways to deal with cravings.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-09-30
• Completion: 2026-11-30
• First posted: 2026-02-02
• Last updated: 2026-02-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Hong Kong