Development and Initial Testing of a Multi-Component Breath Alcohol-Focused Intervention for Young Adults, Stage 3
Northeastern University
Summary
This is the third stage of a three-stage, NIH-funded study to develop and test a multi-modal intervention concerning blood/breath alcohol concentration for young adults who drink heavily. The multimodal intervention will be made up of brief telehealth counseling and psychoeducation and use of three existing mobile technologies. The brief counseling/psychoeducation and mobile technologies provide personalized feedback regarding blood or breath alcohol content. The long-term goal of use of these mobile technologies will be to facilitate moderate drinking. However, the main goals of the proposed research are to learn more about feasibility of our procedures, perceived value of the technologies and ease of use from the research participants' points of view. In this third stage of the study, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial building on the formative research conducted in Stages 1 and 2.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Be between the ages of 18-25 * Be able to read English and complete study evaluations * At least occasional heavy episodic drinking (i.e., 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men) over the prior 30 days * Frequent consumption of at least one alcoholic drink during a minimum of 12 days out of the prior 30 so that subjects will have multiple opportunities to use the moderate drinking technologies during the intervention period. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe substance use disorder * Be psychotic or otherwise severely psychiatrically disabled * Report a hist…
Interventions
- DeviceAlcohol-related mobile health technologies
Participants will be asked to use the mobile technologies as they choose while drinking for a four-week period.
- BehavioralMotivational interview and psychoeducation on blood/breath alcohol concentration
Brief 25/30-minute motivational interview and psychoeducation on blood/breath alcohol concentration that includes both personalized and standardized information.
- BehavioralLower tech facilitation
Study staff will review instructions for technology use closely with participants and guide them in use of existing phone technologies as reminders for use of the three moderate drinking technologies during drinking situations.
- BehavioralHigher tech facilitation
Participants will use an app developed during the study, SmartSip, that will provide protective behavioral strategies and reminders for use of the three moderate drinking technologies during drinking situations.
- BehavioralAlcohol Education
Brief 25/30-minute psychoeducation on generalized alcohol use providing information about alcohol and its effects, adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Rethinking Drinking resources
Location
- Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts