Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Internet therapy versus internet self-help versus no treatment for problematic alcohol use: A randomized controlled
Matthijs Blankers1, Maarten W J Koeter, Gerard M Schippers
1Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.blankers@amc.uva.nl
Internet-based therapy (TAO) and self-help (SAO) effectively reduced alcohol consumption in problem drinkers. TAO showed superior results compared to SAO at six months, indicating its potential for treating problematic alcohol use.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Addiction Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Problematic alcohol use is a leading global health concern, with many individuals not receiving treatment.
- Internet-based interventions offer a promising avenue to reach untreated populations with alcohol use disorders.
- The effectiveness of online interventions for problematic alcohol use requires rigorous evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of Internet-based therapy (therapy alcohol online; TAO) and Internet-based self-help (self-help alcohol online; SAO) for individuals with problematic alcohol use.
- To compare the effectiveness of TAO and SAO against a waiting-list control group.
- To evaluate the impact of these interventions on alcohol consumption, treatment response, and quality of life.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 205 adult problem drinkers.
- Participants were assigned to TAO (7 text-based chat therapy sessions), SAO, or a waiting-list control group.
- Interventions utilized cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques, with assessments at baseline, 3, and 6 months.
Main Results:
- Both TAO and SAO significantly reduced alcohol consumption compared to the waiting-list control at 3 months.
- While not significantly different at 3 months, TAO demonstrated significantly greater reductions in alcohol consumption than SAO at 6 months.
- Similar patterns were observed for treatment response and quality-of-life outcomes, favoring TAO at 6 months.
Conclusions:
- Internet-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy/motivational interviewing-based therapy and self-help, are effective for problematic alcohol users.
- Internet-based therapy (TAO) yields superior outcomes compared to Internet-based self-help (SAO) at the 6-month follow-up.
- These findings support the scalability and effectiveness of digital health solutions for alcohol use disorders.
More Related Videos
07:31Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
08:05A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Self-Help Support Groups
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Interpersonal Psychotherapy