Balance—a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of an online intensive self‐help alcohol intervention

Abstract

Aims To compare a brief versus a brief plus intensive self-help version of 'Balance', a fully automated online alcohol intervention, on self-reported alcohol consumption. Design A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Participants in both conditions received an online single session screening procedure including personalized normative feedback. The control group also received an online booklet about the effects of alcohol. The treatment group received the online multi-session follow-up program, Balance. Setting Online study in Norway. Participants At-risk drinkers were recruited by internet advertisements and assigned randomly to one of the two conditions (n = 244). Measurements The primary outcome was self-reported alcohol consumption the previous week measured 6 months after screening. Findings Regression analysis, using baseline carried forward imputation (intent-to-treat), with baseline variables as covariates, showed that intervention significantly affected alcohol consumption at 6 months (B = 2.96; 95% confidence interval = 0.02-5.90; P = 0.049). Participants in the intensive self-help group drank an average of three fewer standard alcohol units compared with participants in the brief self-help group. Conclusions The online Balance intervention, added to a brief online screening intervention, may aid reduction in alcohol consumption compared with the screening intervention and an educational booklet.

Technology‐Delivered Cognitive‐Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Use: A Meta‐Analysis

“…Among studies that reported racial/ethnic sample statistics, the samples were 72% White (SD = 20%), 34% Black (SD = 28%), and 13% Latino/a (SD = 10%). Countries other than the United States were as follows: Netherlands (Blankers et al., ; Riper et al., ); Norway (Brendryen et al., ); Canada (Cunningham, ); Ireland (Farren et al., ); Sweden (Gajecki et al., ); Australia (Kay‐Lambkin et al., , ); and United Kingdom (Wallace et al., ). Regarding sampling method, the majority of studies recruited participants from the community via online advertising ( k = 10), followed by within specialty clinics or medical facilitates ( k = 3), and 2 studies took place on college campuses.…”

“…The combination of CBT and motivational interviewing became increasingly common following the Combined Behavioral Intervention (CBI) approach (Combine Study Research Group, ) employed for AUD in the COMBINE Study (Anton et al., ). Other programs included in this meta‐analysis are “packaged” approaches that combine cognitive‐behavioral relapse prevention skills with personalized feedback, such as the Tertiary Health Research Intervention via Email ( THRIVE ; Leeman et al., ), or with acceptance and mindfulness exercises ( Balance ; Brendryen et al., ). Thus, the number of “pure” CBT technology‐based interventions, and therefore the evidence for their efficacy, is currently relatively limited.…”

Electronic Interventions for Alcohol Misuse and Alcohol Use Disorders

“…When supplementary human support was used (for 7 trials that enrolled adults and 3 that enrolled students), it was typically limited, consisting only of technical support from a research assistant in more than one half of the cases (for 4 trials that enrolled adults and 3 that enrolled students). However, therapeutic support varied substantially, with some e-interventions supplemented by 1.5 to 6.5 hours of support (33)(34)(35)(36).…”

A comparison of three types of web-based inhibition training for the reduction of alcohol consumption in problem drinkers: study protocol

“…Related to this, a recent study on inhibition training for weight loss demonstrated that repeated food-related GNGT training via the internet led to significant weight loss that was maintained over four weeks [39]. Other interventions for problem drinking are also effective if delivered online in multiple sessions [40]. Overall, it appears that i) interventions targeting behaviour change are more effective if repeated in multiple sessions and ii) delivery of such interventions via the Internet can be efficient, cost-effective and efficacious [41, 42].…”