COMPARISON BETWEEN A COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL ALCOHOL PROGRAMME AND POST-MAILED MINIMAL INTERVENTION IN HIGH-RISK DRINKING UNIVERSITY FRESHMEN: RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Abstract — Aim: Examine the effect of a 10 h intervention programme compared with post-mailed minimal intervention (PMMI) given to high-risk alcohol-drinking university freshmen in a random design. Method: In total 693 freshmen at the Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University, Sweden were included in the study. A cognitive behavioural alcohol program (CBAP) or PMMI was given to high-risk drinking freshmen (n = 177) in a randomized design. A 10-item screening instrument, Alcohol Use Disorder Identi-fication Test (AUDIT), was used before and 1 year after the intervention programmes were given. Results: There were no significant differences between the CBAP and the PMMI groups. Both groups declined their AUDIT scores with –1.7 [CI 95 % –2.6, –0.7] and –2.7 [CI 95 % –3.6, –1.7], respectively which could be explained by effects of regression to the mean. Conclusion: No significant differences between the groups were found