Behavioral economic analysis of natural resolution of drinking problems using IVR self-monitoring

This study investigated whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons predicted patterns of alcohol consumption shortly after natural resolution when the risk of relapse is high. Using a computerized interactive voice response (IVR) telephone system, untreated problem drinkers (n = 41) self-monitored their daily drinking, monetary expenditures, and surrounding contexts over intervals that ranged from a maximum of 42 to 128 days. Expanded Timeline Followback interviews were conducted before and after the IVR interval and 1 year after the baseline assessment. Stable resolutions generally and moderation resolutions specifically were associated with proportionally more preresolution expenditures on savings and less on alcohol compared to heavy drinking outcomes. The findings replicated and extended earlier research and suggested that the extent to which problem drinkers organized their behavior over longer intervals, even when drinking abusively, helped identify who resolved, including who transitioned to stable moderation.