Controlled evaluation of a general practice-based brief intervention for excessive drinking

Evaluated a general practitioner (GP)-based brief intervention using 378 excessive drinkers (aged 19–70 yrs) from metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Ss were assigned to groups receiving: (1) a 5-session intervention by the GP—the Alcoholscreen Program (ASP), (2) a single 5-min session of advice by the GP plus a self-help manual (minimal intervention), (3) an alcohol-related assessment but no intervention, or (4) neither intervention nor assessment. The ASP did not result in a significantly greater reduction in consumption at follow-up, but Ss offered the ASP reported a significantly greater reduction in alcohol-related problems. There was no evidence that minimal intervention or alcohol-related assessment was effective in reducing alcohol consumption or problems. (French & Spanish abstracts (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)