Computerized versus motivational interviewing alcohol interventions: impact on discrepancy, motivation, and drinking

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• College student drinking is a significant public health concern.
• Computerized interventions and motivational interviewing are common approaches to address problematic alcohol use in students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) with computerized interventions (Alcohol 101, e-CHUG) for reducing college student drinking.
• To identify mechanisms of change, such as motivation and discrepancy, associated with these interventions.
• To examine intervention effects on ethnically diverse student populations.

Main Methods:

• Two randomized clinical trials were conducted with ethnically diverse college student drinkers.
• Study 1 compared BASICS to the Alcohol 101 CD-ROM program.
• Study 2 compared BASICS to the e-CHUG web-based program and an assessment-only control group.

Main Results:

• BASICS was associated with greater post-session motivation and discrepancy compared to Alcohol 101 in Study 1.
• In Study 2, BASICS showed a significant treatment effect, leading to lower drinking outcomes compared to the assessment-only group.
• African American students receiving BASICS reported significant reductions in drinking, unlike those in other conditions.

Conclusions:

• The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) may be a more effective approach for reducing heavy drinking in college students than some computerized interventions.
• BASICS demonstrates particular efficacy for African American students.
• Mechanisms of change require further investigation, as motivation and discrepancy did not consistently predict outcomes across studies.