Open AccessSecondary prevention of alcohol problems in rural areas using a bibliotherapy-based approach.
Author(s) -
Gerard J. Connors,
Kimberly S. Walitzer,
Mark A. Prince,
Audrey Kubiak
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
rural mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2163-8969
pISSN - 1935-942X
DOI - 10.1037/rmh0000073
Subject(s) - bibliotherapy , psychological intervention , alcohol consumption , alcohol dependence , psychology , telephone interview , heavy drinking , injury prevention , alcohol , suicide prevention , motivational interviewing , poison control , medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , environmental health , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , sociology
This study investigated the relative effects of three 12-week secondary prevention interventions for problem drinking men and women in rural counties in New York State. The participants were 111 self-referred men and women without severe dependence on alcohol who nevertheless reported heavy drinking and a desire to reduce their alcohol consumption. They were assigned randomly to one of three 12-week interventions focused on reducing alcohol intake: bibliotherapy (a self-directed manual) alone, bibliotherapy with one telephone-administered motivational interview, or bibliotherapy with one telephone-administered motivational interview and six biweekly telephone therapy sessions. Results showed that, across conditions, participants significantly increased their abstinent and light drinking days and significantly decreased their heavy drinking days over the course of treatment and a 12-month follow-up period. In addition, participants reported moderate reductions in alcohol consequences and increases in confidence not to drink heavily across a variety of situations from pre- to posttreatment, with these changes remaining stable across the course of the follow-up. Use of the drinking reduction strategies presented in the self-directed manual also remained stable from posttreatment to the 12-month follow-up. These results provide support for consideration of bibliotherapy for rural problem drinkers who are not severely dependent on alcohol, with or without the addition of telephone contacts.