Citation

Blow FC, Ilgen MA, Walton MAL, Czyz EK, McCammon R, Chermack ST, Cunningham RM, Barry KL. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009; 44(5): 486-490.

Affiliation

Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research & Development, 2215 Fuller Road (11H), Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/alcalc/agp031

PMID

19692345

PMCID

PMC2765353

Abstract

AIMS: This study examines whether the severity of baseline alcohol consumption/consequences moderates the effect of an alcohol brief intervention (BI) in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Injured patients (N = 494) were recruited from an ED, randomly assigned to receive brief advice or not and completed a 12-month follow-up interview. RESULTS: A significant interaction was found between severity of baseline alcohol consumption (i.e. average weekly, binge drinking) and receipt of a BI on alcohol consumption at 12 months. The form of this interaction indicates that the BI group tended to report lower alcohol consumption at follow-up than the untreated group especially in those who had reported high baseline consumption. Severity of alcohol consequences at baseline did not significantly impact the effect of the BI on 12-month outcomes. CONCLUSION: ED patients with higher alcohol consumption benefit from BI. In some cases, the BI's effects may be enhanced for patients who are heavier drinkers, perhaps due to a greater opportunity to develop a discrepancy between current behavior and future goals.

Language: en