Using Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment to Address Problematic Alcohol Use at a University Student Health Center

Problematic drinking is a public health concern on college campuses. College students who do not have their risky drinking behaviors addressed are at greater risk for developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Despite known risks associated with drinking on college campuses, many college health centers miss an opportunity to address these behaviors because they lack a systematic process for identifying students at risk and referring them for treatment. This evidence-based project evaluated the effectiveness of using Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to identify students with risky drinking behaviors and the impact the screening process had on facilitating a referral to treatment. Students (n=172) were screened using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test- Consumption (AUDIT-C), as part of the check-in process when they presented for a wellness exam at a university student health center in the southeastern United States. Students’ drinking behaviors were categorized as low-risk, at-risk or high-risk based on their AUDIT-C scores. Outcome measurement results indicated that use of a systematic process for screening students for alcohol use was effective at identifying students with risky drinking behaviors, provided a structured process to giving students feedback about their drinking behaviors and facilitated a referral to treatment for those students who scored in the high-risk category