Skills Training for Reducing Risky Alcohol Use in App Form Among Adult Internet Help-seekers

• Background: Problematic alcohol use in Sweden occurs among 16 % of the adult population. Digital interventions of varying intensity have shown positive effects in contributing to reductions in problematic use, and the TeleCoach app has shown positive effects in non-treatment-seeking university students with excessive drinking (Gajecki et al., 2017). This pilot study evaluated the app among adult internet help-seekers, and motivated continued data collection in the current target group. Methods: Adult internet-help seekers, recruited via advertisement, were included if they scored ³6 (women) or ³8 (men) on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Those with depression scores of ³31 on the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S) or problematic drug use scores of ³8 on the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) were contacted for a telephone interview and included following clinical assessment; if not reached they were excluded. Participants randomized at a 1:1 ratio to the TeleCoach™ web-based app or to a web-based app with information texts from primary care-based self-help material for changing problematic alcohol use. At six-week follow-up, the primary outcome was the number of standard drinks per past week (Timeline-Followback). Results: Of 147 persons assessed for eligibility, 89 were assigned to the intervention group (n=42) or control group (n=47). Average AUDIT levels at baseline were ³18.The baseline number of standard drinks per week was 32.73 (SD 21.16) for the intervention group, and 26 (4.08) for the control group; at 6-week follow-up it was 12.73 (10.52) and 13.48 (11.13) for the intervention and control groups, respectively. No significant between-groups effects occurred, but withingroup changes over time were significant (F(1, 55)=43.98; p< 0.000), with an effect size of 1.37 for the intervention group and 0.92 for the control group. Conclusions: The results suggest that web-based apps can be of help to internet help-seekers motivated to reduce problematic alcohol use. We have proceeded with the planned larger randomized, controlled study and will present 6-week follow-up data for the entire study sample (n=∼1000) in this presentation.

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

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