Alcohol Abuse, Episodic Drinking Behavior
Conditions
Keywords
alcohol, hazardous or harmful drinking, emergency department (ED)
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI), in reducing alcohol consumption among patients with hazardous or harmful drinking admitted in emergency department (ED). Patients aged 16 to 24 and who tested positive for blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.5g/l. or above are enrolled. Patients receive either an information leaflet or an information leaflet plus a referral to a psychologist. BMI is provided by the psychologist. BMI consists in a first face-to-face interview (35-45 minutes) plus a telephone interview, at 1 and 2 months. Minors' parents are also invited to attend the BMI session. If necessary, patients can be referred to relevant care and treatment services for alcohol misuse. In a simple blind, randomised controlled clinical trial of 280 patients, 140 patients are allocated to the treatment group and 140 to the control group. Randomisation is stratified according to patient's age (16-17 or 18-24). Opaque and sealed randomized envelops are used for randomisation. Alcohol consumption is measured by self-report at 3 months. The principal criteria used to assess the reduction of alcohol use at 3 months follow-up is the number of alcoholic drinks in the last week. Other events such as ED readmission, quarrels related to alcohol, drinking and driving, sexual intercourse without protection will also be assessed. It is the first clinical trial in France comparing these two interventions among young patients in ED with this design.
Detailed description
Eligible patients are recruited by ED physicians. Staff in ED involved in the study is provided with a teaching session on the importance of alcohol misuse and inclusion procedures. Prior to enrolment, a written informed consent is requested from every patient. For patients under 18, a consent form is also requested from parent(s) or the legal tutor.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBrief Motivational Intervention (BMI)
Patients receive an information leaflet plus a referral to a psychologiste. BMI is provided by the psychologist. BMI consists in a first face-to-face interview (35-45 minutes) plus a telephone interview, at 1 and 2 months. Minors' parents are also invited to attend the BMI session.
BEHAVIORALSimple written advice
Patients receive an information leaflet.
Sponsors
MAFEJ
AIRDDS-CIRDD
Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT)
Rennes University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to 24 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Men or women aged 16-24 attending ED services between Thursday 10 pm and Sunday 8 am * Breathalyzer test with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.5g/l or above * Ability to give consent * Parental or legal tutor's consent is requested for patients under 18
Exclusion criteria
* Already enrolled in the study * Current ED visit for attempted suicide patients * Current ED visit for injured trauma patients * Alcohol dependence requiring hospitalisation or referral to local treatment * Current enrolment or request to enrol in substance abuse treatment program
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| alcohol use | 3 months | The principal criteria used to assess the reduction of alcohol use at 3 months follow-up is the number of alcoholic drinks in the last week. Others indicators such as binge drinking episodes and number of days drinking per week will also be assessed. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ED readmission | 3 months | ED readmission |
| quarrels related to alcohol | 3 months | quarrels related to alcohol |
| drinking and driving | 3 months | drinking and driving |
| sexual intercourse without protection | 3 months | sexual intercourse without protection |
Countries
France
Outcome results
None listed