Online Intervention Found to Change Drinking Behavior

An evaluation of the online screening tool CheckYourDrinking.net found that problem drinkers reduced their alcohol consumption by 30 percent at three- and six-month followups — similar to the success rate for in-person interventions — according to Canada’s Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

“An unfortunate reality is that many problem drinkers do not seek treatment,” said lead researcher John Cunningham. “While getting help from a health care professional is ideal, there are barriers to access such as concerns about stigma, a desire to handle problems on one’s own, or simply because treatment is not readily available — online interventions can help reduce these barriers by allowing people to seek help in their own homes.”

The website collects self-reported data on drinking habits and provides users with a report comparing their drinking to national averages, information on drinking risks, an estimation of their annual spending on alcohol, a calculation of how much time the user spends intoxicated each year, and safe-drinking guidelines. “When presented these facts in a non-judgmental manner, participants are able to re-evaluate their drinking and may be motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption,” said Cunningham.

The study was published in the December 2009 issue of the journal Addiction.