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Citation
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Baumgartner C, Schaub MP, Wenger A, Malischnig D, Augsburger M, Lehr D, Blankers M, Ebert DD, Haug S. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021; 225: e108806. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Depression and harmful alcohol use are two of the top five leading causes of years of life lost to disability in high-income countries. Integrated treatment targeting both at the same time is often considered more complicated and difficult and, therefore, more expensive. Consequently, integrated internet-based interventions could be a valuable addition to traditional care.
METHODS: A three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing the effectiveness of (1) an integrated, minimal-guidance, adherence-focused self-help intervention designed to reduce both alcohol use and depression symptoms (AFGE-AD); (2) a similar intervention designed to reduce alcohol use only (AFGE-AO), and (3) internet access as usual (IAU) as a control condition, in at least moderately depressed alcohol misusers from February 2016-March 2020. We recruited 689 alcohol misusers (51.6 % males, mean age = 42.8 years) with at least moderate depression symptoms not otherwise in treatment from the general population. Six months after baseline, 288 subjects (41.8 %) were reachable for the final assessment.
RESULTS: All interventions yielded reduced alcohol-use after six months (AFGE-AD: -16.6; AFGE-AO: -19.8; IAU: -13.2). Those who undertook active-interventions reported significantly fewer standard drinks than controls (AFGE-AD: p =.048, d=0.10; AFGE-AO: p =.004, d=0.20). The two active-intervention groups also reported significantly less severe depression symptoms than controls (AFGE-AD: p =.006, d=0.41; AFGE-AO: p =.008, d=0.43). Testing revealed noninferiority between the two interventions.
CONCLUSIONS: This study documented sustained effectiveness of the first integrated, fully internet-based self-help intervention developed for the reduction of both alcohol use and depression symptoms in at least moderately depressed adult alcohol misusers recruited from the general population.
Language: en |