Effectiveness of an Online Therapy Program for Problem Drinkers
Author Information
Author(s): Gunther Eysenbach, Trevor van Mierlo, Renske Spijkerman, Marloes G Postel, Hein A de Haan, Elke D ter Huurne, Eni S Becker, Cor AJ de Jong
Primary Institution: Tactus Addiction Treatment
Hypothesis
E-therapy would reduce weekly alcohol consumption and improve health status.
Conclusion
E-therapy for problem drinking is an effective intervention that can be delivered to a large population who otherwise do not seek help for their drinking problem.
Supporting Evidence
- The e-therapy group decreased their mean weekly alcohol consumption by 28.8 units compared to 3.1 units in the control group.
- 68% of the e-therapy group was drinking less than the problem drinking limit at 3 months.
- The study used intention-to-treat analyses to handle loss to follow-up.
Takeaway
This study shows that online therapy can help people drink less alcohol, even if they usually don't ask for help.
Methodology
Participants were randomly assigned to either a 3-month e-therapy program or a waiting list control group, with assessments at baseline and 3 months.
Potential Biases
Higher dropout rates in the e-therapy group may indicate resistance to behavioral change.
Limitations
The study only reports short-term effects and had a high dropout rate.
Participant Demographics
54% women, age range 22-66 years, mean age 45.3 years, 82% employed.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<.001
Confidence Interval
15.69-35.80
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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