Screening and brief interventions of problem drinking in chronic disease hospital out-patients in Thailand: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to provide screening for alcohol misuse and to test the effectiveness of a brief alcohol intervention to reduce alcohol use among chronic disease hospital out-patients in Thailand. Out-patients were screened for alcohol problems, and those that were identified as hazardous or harmful or dependent drinkers were randomized into an experimental or control group, and followed-up at 3, 6 and 12 months. Patients in the intervention group received brief alcohol risk reduction counselling, and the control group received a health education leaflet. Results show that there was a significant reduction in alcohol use (based on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) (AUDIT total score and heavy episodic drinking) over time across intervention and control groups. However, the intervention effect on the AUDIT score was -0.9 and the heavy episodic drinking score was -0.5, which were both statistically not significant. Compared to the control group, the experimental group achieved a significant reduction of alcohol use in the probable alcohol dependent group. The significant intervention effect for both intervention and control group in the hazardous or harmful drinkers seems to suggest that providing a health education leaflet may be sufficient for hospital chronic disease out-patients with hazardous or harmful drinking, and for probable alcohol dependent drinkers brief intervention may be effective.

Keywords: Brief intervention, alcohol problems, chronic disease patients, trial, Thailand