Implementing Approach-Bias Modification as Add-On to Varieties of Clinical Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders:...

Area of Science:

• Addiction research
• Clinical psychology
• Behavioral therapy

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment yields modest 1-year abstinence rates (~50%).
• Modifying automatic alcohol-approach bias (alcohol-ApBM) is a promising adjunctive therapy for AUD.
• Previous trials demonstrated alcohol-ApBM efficacy, necessitating real-world implementation studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of adding alcohol-ApBM to regular AUD treatments in diverse clinical settings.
• To determine if alcohol-ApBM increases abstinence rates compared to standard care alone.
• To assess patient and therapist satisfaction with the alcohol-ApBM intervention.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter implementation randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 1,586 AUD inpatients across 9 German clinics.
• Participants were randomized to receive regular treatment plus alcohol-ApBM or regular treatment alone.
• Success rates were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment; training satisfaction was also measured.

Main Results:

• Alcohol-ApBM significantly increased abstinence success rates at the 3-month follow-up.
• No significant differences in abstinence rates were observed at 6 and 12 months.
• Patient and therapist satisfaction with alcohol-ApBM was generally positive, despite variable return rates (18-76%).

Conclusions:

• Alcohol-ApBM is an effective 3-month add-on treatment for alcohol use disorder across various clinical settings.
• Low follow-up assessment return rates significantly reduced the observed effect size of alcohol-ApBM.
• The implementation of alcohol-ApBM is feasible in diverse AUD treatment environments, aiding in modifying automatic processes to promote abstinence.