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Brief interventions are effective in reducing alcohol consumption in opiate‐dependent methadone‐maintained patients: Results from an implementation study
Author(s) -
DARKER CATHERINE D.,
SWEENEY BRION P.,
EL HASSAN HAYTHAM O.,
SMYTH BOBBY P.,
IVERS JOHANNA H.,
BARRY JOE M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2011.00349.x
Subject(s) - alcohol use disorders identification test , methadone , opiate , medicine , audit , addiction , psychological intervention , methadone maintenance , alcohol dependence , alcohol consumption , alcohol , psychiatry , emergency medicine , poison control , injury prevention , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , management , economics
Abstract Introduction and Aims. An implementation study to test the feasibility and effectiveness of brief interventions (BIs) to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in opiate‐dependent methadone‐maintained patients. Design and Methods. Before and after intervention comparison of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT‐C) scores from baseline to 3 month follow up. Seven hundred and ten (82%) of the 863 eligible methadone‐maintained patients within three urban addiction treatment clinics were screened. A World Health Organization protocol for a clinician‐delivered single BI to reduce alcohol consumption was delivered. The full AUDIT questionnaire was used at baseline (T1) to measure alcohol consumption and related harms; and in part as a screening tool to exclude those who may be alcohol‐dependent. AUDIT‐C was used at 3 month follow up (T2) to assess any changes in alcohol consumption. Results. One hundred and sixty (23% of overall sample screened) ‘AUDIT‐positive’ cases were identified at baseline screening with a mean total full AUDIT score of 13.5 (SD 6.7). There was a statistically significant reduction in AUDIT‐C scores from T1 (, SD = 2.35) to T2 ( , SD = 2.66) for the BI group ( z = −3.98, P < 0.01). There was a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of men who were AUDIT‐positive from T1 to T2 (χ 2 = 8.25, P < 0.003). Discussion and Conclusions. It is feasible for a range of clinicians to screen for problem alcohol use and deliver BI within community methadone clinics. Opiate‐dependent patients significantly reduced their alcohol consumption as a result of receiving a BI . [Darker CD, Sweeney BP, El Hassan HO, Smyth BP, Ivers J‐HH, Barry JM. Brief interventions are effective in reducing alcohol consumption in opiate‐dependent methadone‐maintained patients: Results from an implementation study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:348–356]