Digital Interventions to Treat Hazardous Drinking

Purpose

There has been a significant increase in the prevalence of stress- and alcohol- related disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aims to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a digital intervention designed to reduce stress and alcohol use. Additionally, this study will examine the impact of stress, including COVID-19 related stress, on the risk of alcohol misuse and the outcomes of the intervention in risky social drinkers.

Conditions

  • Hazardous Drinking
  • Stress

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 55 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Heavy or binge drinkers - Either high or low COVID-19 related stress

Exclusion Criteria

  • Current or past substance use disorder other than mild alcohol, tobacco, marijuana use disorder - Psychiatric disorders except for mood and anxiety disorders - Any significant current medical conditions

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Intervention Model Description
All participants received a 4-week digital intervention, "Emotion regulation via Breathing for Alcohol reduction (EBA)," which combines alcohol intervention with stress reduction techniques based on self-regulated breathing exercises. The preliminary efficacy of this digital intervention was evaluated through assessments conducted before and immediately after the intervention, as well as during a follow-up assessment 30 days later.
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Other
Risky drinkers 		All participants will receive the same 4-week intervention program.
  • Behavioral: Digital intervention
    All participants will receive a digital intervention designed to reduce stress and alcohol consumption over a 4-week period. The intervention will include two weekly sessions that integrate alcohol intervention with breathing-based stress management techniques.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

NCT ID
NCT04890652
Status
Completed
Sponsor
Yale University

Detailed Description

This project proposes a feasibility study to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a digital intervention aimed at addressing stress-related drinking in risky drinkers with emotional stress. This digital intervention combines telehealth- and smartphone app- based approaches, allowing concurrent intervention and participant-initiated daily exercise in a real-life setting. This program integrates alcohol intervention with breathing-based stress reduction and focuses on developing emotion regulation skills to manage stress, craving, and alcohol misuse. After the 4-week intervention, all participants will be prospectively followed for 30 days to monitor stress, alcohol use, and other health-related behaviors.