Treatment Trials

52 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions

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COMPLETED
E-Health Coping Skills Training for Women Whose Partner Has a Drinking Problem
Description

This study evaluates web-based interventions to help women cope with the stress arising from living with a problem-drinking partner

Conditions
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Developing Functional Connectivity-Guided TMS for Alcohol Use Disorder
Description

Alcohol Use Disorders are currently positioned as the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, constituting a humanitarian crisis with substantial financial burden on society and medical facilities. While several pharmacological interventions exist, 60% of individuals who seek these treatments relapse to alcohol within 6 months. These high relapse rates are due in part to elevated brain response to alcohol cues in the environment. This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of one session of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a strategy to reduce brain reactivity to alcohol cues.

TERMINATED
Brief ROC Training Effects on Alcohol Drinking
Description

The goal of the proposed study is to examine whether a single session of training in regulation of craving (ROC-T) affects alcohol drinking. The study will consist of (1) a basic screening (phone and/or online) and an in-person visit, to determine eligibility and conduct pre-intervention baseline assessments; (2) a training (ROC-T) visit, (3) a post-intervention assessment visit, and (4) 1-2 phone/online follow-up assessments. The study will take up to 10 hours of the participants' time.

RECRUITING
The Role of Brief Potent Glutamatergic Modulation in Addressing Problem Drinking
Description

The proposed project tests the efficacy of glutamate modulators in non-depressed individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD); the primary hypothesis is that the glutamate modulator being tested reduces heavy drinking days compared to the active control. It also aims to investigate, using a 2 by 2 factorial (2x2) design, the hypothesis that the effects of the glutamate modulator are enhanced when combined with behavioral treatment.

COMPLETED
Development and Pilot Trial of an Intervention to Reduce Disclosure Recipients Negative Social Reactions and Victims Psychological Distress and Problem Drinking
Description

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate an intervention, Supporting Survivors and Self: An Intervention for Social Supports of Survivors of Partner Abuse and Sexual Aggression (SSS). SSS trains potential recipients of IPV or SA disclosure on the best methods of responding to a victim's disclosure. Consenting college students will be randomized into the SSS intervention or a wait-list control condition. Evaluation data will be multi-informant (i.e., data from both informal supports and victims) and multi-method (i.e., qualitative and quantitative). The investigators hypothesize that individuals receiving the SSS intervention, compared to individuals in the wait-list control condition, will provide less negative and more positive social reactions to victims' disclosure.

COMPLETED
AABM to Decrease Problem Drinking and Impulsivity in Veterans With AUD: A Pilot Study
Description

The proposed study is a pilot prospective, parallel groups, randomized, double blind, sham training-controlled, 9-session (over 3 weeks) clinical trial of AABM in 32 male and female veterans entering treatment for AUD at the VA Medical Center at San Francisco, California, between ages 18-65. The study consists of screening, 3-week AABM training, Week-4 post-test, and Week-12 follow-up. Assessment of inhibitory control, alcohol approach bias and craving will be administered at baseline and Week-4. Immediately following screening, patients will be randomly assigned to receive 9 sessions of real or sham AABM training (16 subjects each) taking place over three weeks. Following the 3 weeks of training, patients will complete a Week-4 post-test which includes assessment of alcohol approach bias, inhibitory control, and craving and a Week-12 follow-up assessing drinking behavior.

COMPLETED
Changing Impulsivity With Mindful Breathing Therapy to Reduce Problem Drinking
Description

The investigators plan to establish the efficacy of a novel breathing-based mindfulness training (BBMT, a much simplified, easy-to-use version of standard MM) for problem drinking, and test whether impulsivity mediates this effect among a sample of student problem drinkers (i.e., \> 8 on AUDIT, the problem drinking Screening Test). The specific aims of this pilot study are as follows: 1. to modify and further develop the easy-to-use BBMT program for directly targeting impulsivity to produce an indirect reduction in problem drinking among college students; 2. to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of applying BBMT for reducing problem drinking with a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT); 3. to examine changes in impulsivity, as measured by both behavioral and self-report assessments, as one of the possible mediators in the effect of BBMT on problem drinking, with control for changes in perceived stress and anxiety.

COMPLETED
Tailored Mobile Text Messaging to Reduce Problem Drinking
Description

This study is designed to develop and test a tailored adaptive text messaging/short message service (SMS) intervention for individuals interested in stopping or reducing their alcohol consumption; and test and compare it to tailored but static, once a day messaging, gain framed messaging, and ecological momentary assessment only.

COMPLETED
Brief Intervention for Problem Drinking and Partner Violence
Description

This study is a randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention for women Emergency Department patients with involvement in both Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and problem drinking (defined as the full spectrum of hazardous, harmful, or dependent drinking). The study is designed to explore the effectiveness of a low-intensity, gender-sensitive brief motivational intervention, delivered by social workers in the Emergency Department setting, in decreasing IPV and episodes of heavy drinking and increasing rates of follow-up with resources. Social work graduate students and/or staff will be trained to provide brief motivational enhancement therapy (MET) intervention for decreasing heavy drinking and IPV-related injury in women Emergency Department patients.

COMPLETED
Naltrexone for At-Risk and Problem Drinking in Smoking Cessation Treatment
Description

To test whether naltrexone compared to placebo can reduce heavy drinking and improve smoking cessation outcomes in heavy drinkers seeking smoking cessation treatment.

COMPLETED
Project Motion, A Study of Motivational Interviewing to Reduce Heavy or Problematic Drinking
Description

The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the critical components of motivational interviewing (MI), a psychotherapeutic intervention, in reducing heavy or problematic drinking. The study will disaggregate MI into its component parts and test full MI compared to MI without its directive strategies. This study will test whether the directive elements of MI are critical or whether MI effects may be attributable solely to its Rogerian, non-directive components. For more information, go to www.projectmotion.org

COMPLETED
An Internet-based Intervention for Problem Drinking
Description

The main aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of an Internet-delivered self-help intervention for problem drinkers in the general population. Adult problem drinkers with home access to the Internet will be recruited from the CAMH Monitor. Subjects will be randomly assigned to receive a website address where they can obtain personalized feedback about their drinking, or to a no intervention control group. Three-month and six-month follow-up surveys will be conducted by mail to assess drinking over the following three month periods. Collaterals will be requested and interviewed after the six-month follow-up. Subjects will be paid $40.00 and collaterals will be paid $20.00 for their participation. Drinking at three- and six-months will be compared between the groups. Subjects in the control group will be provided with the website address following the six-month follow-up.

Conditions
COMPLETED
Interventions for HIV+ Mothers With Problem Drinking
Description

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a 14-session behavioral intervention for HIV-infected and uninfected mothers with problem drinking. The intervention targets alcohol and drug problems, sexual risk behavior, and parenting. We hypothesize that mothers in the 14-session intervention condition will show improvements in alcohol and drug use, sexual risk behavior, and parenting in comparison to the control condition, which receives a one session brief video intervention.

RECRUITING
Deposit Contracts to Increase Accessibility of a Contingency Management Intervention to Reduce Problematic Drinking
Description

This study will examine the effects of an incentive-based intervention (for reducing alcohol use) that would be sustainable, easily accessible intervention using remote alcohol monitoring and deposit contracts, targeting individuals who would not be reached by more traditional forms of treatment due to barriers such as time constraints, attitudes, and stigma.

COMPLETED
Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindfulness-based Resilience Training for Rural Law Enforcement Officers
Description

Rural law enforcement officers (LEOs) are exposed to unique and significant stressors, yet have access to fewer resources, compared to urban counterparts, to mitigate harmful effects of stress. This elevates risk for maladaptive coping strategies such as problematic alcohol use, mental health consequences, and aggression and excessive use of force. The proposed supplement will assess feasibility and accessibility of Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT), with added intervention components addressing alcohol use, in under-resourced rural LEOs to ensure success in a future multisite efficacy trial assessing effects of MBRT on mental health and behavioral outcomes.

COMPLETED
Screening and Brief Intervention in the ED Among Mexican-origin Young Adults
Description

The aims of this study are to: 1) examine the effectiveness of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) among Mexican-origin young adults (age 18-25), using a motivational intervention delivered by a Health Promotion Advocate, relative to standard care with and without assessment, on a reduction in heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems in the emergency department (ED) at the U.S.-Mexico border; and, 2) identify variables that are related to effectiveness of the intervention and that predict successful treatment outcome. Patients will be re-assessed by telephone at three and twelve months to evaluate outcomes.The specific hypotheses to be examined in this proposal are: 1) the motivational interview will lead to significantly greater reductions in the maximum number of drinks on an occasion and in Rapid Alcohol Problem Screen (RAPS4) score at the 12-month follow-up compared to standard care without assessment (those who screen positive but are not assessed) as well as compared to standard care with assessment; 2) the motivational interview will lead to significantly greater reductions in number of drinking days per week, average number of drinks per day, maximum number of drinks on an occasion, RAPS4 score, and number of negative consequences of drinking at 3-month and 12-month follow-up compared to standard care with assessment; 3) a positive breath alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of the ED visit and/or self-reported drinking prior to the event resulting in the ED visit will be positively predictive of effectiveness of the intervention; 4) attributing a causal association of drinking and the reason for the ED visit will be positively associated with effectiveness of brief intervention; 5) readiness to change (and stage of change) will be positively associated with effectiveness of brief intervention; 6) risk taking/impulsivity and sensation seeking dispositions will be negatively associated with effectiveness of brief intervention.

COMPLETED
Ultra-brief Intervention for Problem Drinkers
Description

The major objective of this proposal is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of an ultra-brief, personalized feedback intervention (a pamphlet) for problem drinkers. Subjects will be recruited via a telephone survey which will collect baseline data. The households of half of the subjects will receive the pamphlet as unaddressed ad mail shortly thereafter. Follow-up interviews will be conducted, by telephone, three and six months after the mailing of the pamphlets. Hypothesis 1: Respondents from households who receive the pamphlet will display significantly improved drinking outcomes at the three-month and six-month follow-ups as compared to respondents from households in the no intervention control condition. Hypothesis 2: More calls will be received on a help-line listed on the pamphlet (and advertised elsewhere) from residents of households who receive the pamphlet as compared to residents from households who do not receive the pamphlet. Hypotheses 3 - 6 deal with mediator and moderator hypotheses, exploring the role of perceived risk, perceived drinking norms, and drinking for social reasons.

COMPLETED
Testing Brief Personalized Feedback Integrating EMA Alcohol Cue Information
Description

This study aims to develop a brief intervention that incorporates ecological momentary assessments (EMAs; i.e., four brief surveys per day for 17 days) to create personalized feedback targeting high-risk alcohol use among young adult drinkers. The intervention mainly focuses on providing feedback on individuals' drinking desire and how it varies as a function of a number of real-world factors. Other psycho-educational alcohol-related content is also provided in the intervention including strategies for decreasing exposure to cues that increase drinking desires and how to cope with increased desire to drink. This brief intervention will be used in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing young adults who receive the intervention with those who only complete identical assessments.

COMPLETED
Parent Feedback Intervention Targeting Student Transitions and Alcohol Related Trajectories (+) Efficacy Study
Description

FITSTART (Feedback Intervention Targeting Student Transitions and Risk Trajectories) is a parent-based social norms intervention that has been shown to reduce risky drinking in incoming first year students.This program uses normative feedback to correct parents overestimation of other parents negative alcohol-related parenting practices (e.g., number of drinks parents would permit their college student to consume). Theory and research suggests that correcting those common misperceptions can motivate parents to adjust their own behaviors (e.g., reducing the number of drinks they would permit), which, in turn, can impact college student drinking. Despite FITSTARTs success, the design of the program limits participation to only students who have parents who can attend on-campus orientation sessions during the summer months before the start of the Fall semester. To address this limitation and extend the previous work, the proposed randomized clinical trial (RCT) will evaluate the efficacy of an online adaptation of the FITSTART(+) PBI program. To examine the efficacy of the newly developed FITSTART+ PBI web app, the proposed RCT will use a longitudinal design to examine if students self-report drinking and related negative consequences during their first semester in college significantly differed between FITSTART+ PBI (intervention app) and a control version of the app. Self-reported drinking and consequences are expected to be lower amongst students with parents randomized to FITSTART+ PBI relative to those with parents randomized to the control app.

COMPLETED
Mindfulness for at Risk Youth: Understanding Substance Use and Important Mechanisms of Change
Description

This study will be the first to explore mindfulness as a prevention intervention among transition age youth and those with previous involvement in the juvenile or criminal justice system with substance use problems and history of exposure to violence/trauma. The study will focus on preventing escalation of substance use (e.g., alcohol and marijuana), trauma symptoms, and recidivism by using an intervention to target self-regulation and executive functioning. Justice involved youth have higher rates of alcohol use and related consequences and higher rates of exposure to violence (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) compared to their non-justice involved peers. Prior research has found aspects of self-regulation (emotion regulation, impulse control), stress, and craving to be important putative targets in reducing alcohol use. With high rates of recidivism and increased risk of long term problems associated with substance use, it is imperative to test interventions that can reach at risk youth and target both alcohol use and important psychological and neurocognitive self-regulation mechanisms. This study tests whether the use of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) for at risk young adults results in changes in important self-regulation mechanisms and improved alcohol use outcomes. Individuals assigned to the experimental group will receive interventions normally provided at a community clinic and eight 1.5-hour group sessions of MBRP. Sessions will occur once per week. Each session will target a specific theme such as being aware of personal triggers, maintaining present focus, allowing or letting things be, responding to emotional and physical experiences in skillful ways, and recognizing intrusive thoughts. Further, each session will incorporate a mindfulness meditation technique. The central hypothesis will be tested through a focus on three specific aims: (1) Beta pilot testing and refining MBRP based on feedback from focus groups, (2) testing the efficacy of MBRP on substance use outcomes compared to an active control, and (3) assessing mechanisms of change for MBRP including self-regulation and neurocognitive facets such as working memory and inhibition.

COMPLETED
Tools for Health and Resilience Implemented After Violence Exposure (Project THRIVE)
Description

Sexual assault victimization is a common and particularly harmful form of trauma that is associated with increased risk for high-risk drinking and other conditions of public health concern, such as PTSD. Given evidence that sexual assault survivors who have low social support or receive negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure are more likely to experience PTSD and drinking problems, improving social support is a novel target for intervention. The proposed study will attempt to prevent the onset of high-risk drinking and PTSD in sexual assault survivors by developing and testing a web-based early intervention aimed at increasing contact with social supporters and mitigating the harm of negative social reactions; ultimately, results will contribute to advancing the field's understanding of the potential for social support to mitigate the harm of trauma.

COMPLETED
A Response Modulation Hypothesis of Socioemotional Processing Associated With Alcohol Use Disorder
Description

Background: Problem drinking affects nearly half the people who drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol affects a person s social behavior and brain structure, but researchers don t have a good understanding of how. They want to test a technique called neurofeedback to learn more about how to treat problem drinking. Objectives: To study what happens in the brains of people who drink alcohol when they look at pictures of social things and of alcohol. To learn if people can control brain activity in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and if this helps people with drinking. Eligibility: Adults ages 21 65 who have an alcohol use disorder. Healthy volunteers ages 21 65 Design: Participants will be screened with Physical exam Medical history Blood, urine, and heart tests Mental health interview Questions about their alcohol drinking. At each session, participants will have: A urine test for drugs and pregnancy. If they test positive, they cannot participate. A breath alcohol test and assessment for alcohol withdrawal. Participants will complete surveys, talk to researchers about behaviors, and play games. Participants will have MRI brain scans. The scanner is a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They will lie on a table that slides in and out of the scanner for 1 2 hours. Participants will do tasks in the scanner: They will look at pictures, sometimes of alcohol. They will try to hit a goal. Some participants will get feedback during this task. They will see how their brain activity changes or how someone else s changes. Participants may have follow-up phone questions at least 3 times over about 6 months.

UNKNOWN
Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care for Comorbid Behavioral and Medical Problems
Description

Behavioral problems are part of many of the chronic diseases that cause the majority of illness, disability and death. Tobacco, diet, physical inactivity, alcohol, drug abuse, failure to take treatment, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and stress are major issues, especially when chronic medical problems such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, or kidney disease are also present. These behavioral problems can often be helped, but the current health care system doesn't do a good job of getting the right care to these patients. Behavioral health includes mental health care, substance abuse care, health behavior change, and attention to family and other psychological and social factors. Many people with behavioral health needs present to primary care and may be referred to mental health or substance abuse specialists, but this method is often unacceptable to patients. Two newer ways have been proposed for helping these patients. In co-location, a behavioral health clinician (such as a Psychologist or Social Worker) is located in or near the primary practice to increase the chance that the patient will make it to treatment. In Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH), a Behavioral Health Clinician is specially trained to work closely with the medical provider as a full member of the primary treatment team. The research question is: Does increased integration of evidence-supported behavioral health and primary care services, compared to simple co-location of providers, improve outcomes? The key decision affected by the research is at the practice level: whether and how to use behavioral health services. The investigators plan to do a randomized, parallel group clustered study of 3,000 subjects in 40 practices with co-located behavioral health services. Practices randomized to the active intervention will convert to IBH using a practice improvement method that has helped in other settings. The investigators will measure the health status of patients in each practice before and after they start using IBH. The investigators will compare the change in those outcomes to health status changes of patients in practices who have not yet started using IBH. The investigators plan to study adults who have both medical and behavioral problems, and get their care in Family Medicine clinics, General Internal Medicine practices, and Community Health Centers.

COMPLETED
Effects of a New Behavioral Intervention on Alcohol Craving and Drinking
Description

Background: Sights, sounds, and smells can be associated with alcohol and tempt people to drink. The connection between encountering cues and wanting to drink might be reduced by behavioral techniques, like giving the cues at certain times, in certain circumstances. Objective: To see if visual imagery and behavioral techniques can reduce alcohol craving and drinking. Eligibility: Healthy people ages 21 to 65 years old who are mildly concerned about their drinking and have had these habits in the past 3 months: * Women: More than three (3) drinks any single day or more than seven (7) drinks per week * Men: More than four (4) drinks any single day or more than 14 drinks per week Design: * Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, blood tests, alcohol breath tests, hepatitis tests, and alcohol and drug use questionnaires. * Participants will get a smartphone to carry throughout the study. They will use it to report on their drinking, moods, and activities daily. The phone's global positioning system (GPS) will record their locations throughout each day. * There will be six (6) study visits approximately over four (4) weeks. Visits will last up to four (4) hours, but the final visit may last up to seven (7) hours. Visits include the following: * Not drinking alcohol or using illicit or over-the-counter drugs at least 24 hours before each visit * Providing urine and breath samples. * Exposure to various cues: Participants' reactions will be monitored by measuring heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature. * Drinking alcohol or soft drinks: For visits with alcohol, transportation to and from the visit will be provided. * About a month after the last visit, participants will be called to ask about their drinking and cravings.

COMPLETED
A Novel Compound for Alcoholism Treatment
Description

Background: - Hormones are naturally occurring chemicals in your body. Ghrelin is a hormone that is mainly produced by the stomach and stimulates appetite. Some studies suggest it may stimulate alcohol craving and use. Drugs have been developed that block ghrelin. Researchers want to know if people can tolerate a particular drug that blocks ghrelin. It will be given at two dose levels, combined with alcohol. Objective: - To determine if a drug that may decrease alcohol consumption when given along with alcohol is safe and tolerable. Eligibility: * Healthy adults 21-65 years old who have 14 (women) to 21 (men) drinks a week. * No one of childbearing potential can participate. Design: * Participants will have 3 inpatient clinic visits; each will last 4 days. * They will have physical exam and blood and urine tests. * They will have breath tests for alcohol and smoking. * They will answer health and mood questions. * Researchers will measure their reaction to smelling alcohol and tasting a sweet drink. * They will eat only the food provided by the clinic. They will keep a food diary 1 day before each stay. * They will be randomly assigned to take the study drug or placebo 5 times each stay. * On Day 3, they will drink alcohol after taking the drug. They will give many blood samples that day through a tube inserted in their skin. * Smokers can take smoke breaks. Once, they will smoke a cigarette through a device. * One week after the last stay, participants will have a follow-up visit to answer questions.

COMPLETED
Baclofen for Treating Anxiety and Alcoholism
Description

Background: - Baclofen is a drug used to control muscle stiffness in people with neurological diseases. Some studies suggest that baclofen may reduce alcohol craving and use. It helps to reduce anxiety in alcoholics, which in turn can help to reduce cravings. Researchers want to see if baclofen can be a safe and effective treatment for alcoholics who have high anxiety levels. Objectives: - To see if baclofen is safe and helpful for people who have alcoholism and high anxiety levels. Eligibility: * Individuals between 21 and 65 years of age who have been diagnosed with alcoholism and anxiety issues. * Participants must not be taking anti-anxiety medication. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. Tests of alcohol dependency and anxiety levels will also be given. * Participants will be divided into two groups. One group will take baclofen. The other group will have a placebo. * About 1 week after the screening visit, participants will have a study visit. They will answer questions about their behavior and mood. They will then start to take either baclofen or a placebo. Participants will take the study drug three times a day, every day. * After 1 week on the study drug, participants will have an overnight stay at the National Institutes of Health. They will have blood tests and answer questions about mood and behavior. They will also have tests that involve choosing to drink alcohol and answering more questions about cravings. * Participants will stop taking their study drug over a 3-day period. * A final follow-up visit will be required 1 week after the overnight study visit. Participants will receive information about other alcohol abuse treatment programs.

COMPLETED
Alcohol Pharmacotherapy for HIV+ Prisoners
Description

This is a randomized controlled trial of injectable intramuscular naltrexone (XR-NTX) versus intramuscular placebo among HIV-infected prisoners meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence or problem drinking, who are transitioning to the community and seeking treatment to prevent relapse to alcohol use. We hypothesize that extended release naltrexone (XR-NTX) will result in improved HIV outcomes (lower log10 HIV-1RNA levels and higher CD4 count) as well as improved alcohol treatment outcomes, and reduced drug/sex HIV related risk behaviors and decreased rates of reincarceration.

COMPLETED
A Medical Assistant-Based Program to Promote Healthy Behaviors in Primary Care
Description

The purpose of the study is to determine whether a program of screening and intervention for four health risk behaviors (smoking, problem drinking, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet) carried out by medical assistants in primary care practices can help patients improve their behaviors. The hypothesis is that patients who receive the intervention will demonstrate higher rates of health behavior change than patients who receive usual care.

COMPLETED
Alcoholism Assessment and Treatment
Description

The purpose of this study is to gather information about people s drinking histories and to evaluate them for other research studies being conducted at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The evaluation will include a physical examination, blood tests, an MRI scan of the brain and completion of various questionnaires about alcohol use and mood. The information gathered from all of these tests will be used by researchers to gain a better understanding of the disease of alcoholism and determine eligibility for other NIAAA studies. This is an inpatient study so participants will stay at the NIH hospital for at least three weeks and up to six weeks if a person is found to be eligible for other NIAAA research studies. The study is open to people age 18 and older whose alcohol drinking has caused significant problems in their lives, and who desire alcoholism treatment. Detoxification will be provided if needed, and each person may participate in our alcoholism treatment program. The treatment includes group and individual counseling sessions as well as self-help meetings such as AA. Family counseling and recreational opportunities are also an important part of the treatment experience. The doctors, nurses, social workers and all of our other staff are committed to helping participants design an aftercare program that will help them leave the hospital and remain sober. Participants may also be able to attend a 12-week aftercare program in the NIAAA outpatient clinic.

UNKNOWN
Messaging Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Problems Project
Description

The study is designed to develop and test a tailored adaptive text messaging/short message service (SMS) intervention for individuals interested in reducing their alcohol consumption. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, problem or risky drinking is defined as greater than 7 standard drinks per week for women and 14 standard drinks per week for men. Other groups have other criteria (e.g., 10 drinks for women and 14 for men per week). The Institute of Medicine reports that problem drinkers are those with mild-to-moderate problem severity who do not have physical dependence. Heavy drinking individuals with non-abstinence goals rarely seek treatment for excessive alcohol use, and newer methods such as internet screening and mobile apps provide opportunities to engage and treat this difficult to reach population. There are now 96 mobile phone contracts for every 100 people on earth, making mobile interventions a highly viable method for extending care beyond traditional methods. Text messaging or short message service (SMS) is the most widely available mode of mobile communication and despite its simplicity, has been proven to be a reliable and effective method to induce behavior change across behavioral health targets, including problem drinking. However, large scale randomized controlled trials are needed to provide the necessary empirical evidence to validate SMS interventions and understand the mediators and moderators of outcome for help seeking heavy drinkers who are using or unable to attend in-person care.