Brief interventions have been shown to reduce problem drinking in a variety of populations and settings. The hypothesis for the authors' randomised trial was that individuals injured in alcohol-related crashes who received a more intensive intervention (brief counselling) would have reduced binge drinking as compared to those with a less intensive intervention (simple advice) and controls. Non-alcohol dependent, seriously injured individuals (N=186) were enrolled in the protocol. At baseline, mean binges/month (b/m) were 5.88 and at 12 months were 2.02 b/m. Although there was no significant difference by condition, at 12 months the brief counselling group had the lowest rate of binge drinking (1.97 b/m). Whether these drinking patterns were a result of the crash, injury, screening for alcohol use, or combination of these factors is difficult to determine. (Author/publisher)
Abstract