Citation

Satre D, Sterling SA. Clin. Med. Res. 2013; 11(3): 167.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Marshfield Clinic)

DOI

10.3121/cmr.2013.1176.ps1-19

PMID

24085998

PMCID

PMC3788406

Abstract

Background/Aims Hazardous drinking can exacerbate depressive symptoms and have a negative impact on depression treatment outcomes. Many individuals with depression who drink at hazardous levels first seek treatment in mental health settings. Yet prior studies have not tested the efficacy of promising interventions such as Motivational Interviewing (MI) to reduce alcohol consumption among depression patients. We examined MI to supplement depression treatment for patients who report recent hazardous drinking (3+ drinks for women or 4+ drinks for men), in an outpatient psychiatry clinic in a managed care setting. Methods The sample consisted of 300 patients ages 18 and over in an outpatient Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) clinic in Union City, California. Participants were randomized to receive either 3 sessions of MI or to a control condition in which they received a brochure regarding alcohol and drug use risks. Follow-up interviews were conducted by telephone at 3, 6 and 12 months, with measures including alcohol and drug use, depression symptoms, and functional status. Participant interview data were linked to electronic medical records including health services utilization. Results In the 30 days prior to the baseline interview, average number of days of hazardous drinking was 4.3 days (sd = 5.5). Based on initial findings at 3 months, among participants reporting any hazardous drinking at baseline, MI-treated participants were less likely than controls to report hazardous drinking at 3 months (P = .043). Further results to be presented include longer-term alcohol and drug use outcomes, and the impact of the intervention on depression symptoms and patterns of health services utilization. Conclusions Initial findings demonstrated that MI is a promising intervention to reduce hazardous drinking among depression patients and can be provided as a supplement to usual psychiatric treatment. Important next steps in this program of research will investigate antidepressant treatment adherence, effect of the intervention on referral to specialty chemical dependency treatment when needed, impact of the intervention on other health services utilization (such as emergency department), and cost effectiveness.

Language: en