Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use in Injured Patients

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Davis

Disqualifiers: Severe psychiatric illness, incarcerated, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a short, motivational talk, known as a Brief Motivational Interview, can help people change their drinking habits and avoid harmful outcomes. Researchers seek to find out if this approach can reduce hospital readmissions, deaths from alcohol-related injuries, and DUI arrests. Participants will either receive the motivational talk along with informational pamphlets or just the pamphlets. It is suitable for individuals admitted to a trauma ward or ICU who speak English or Spanish.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could improve recovery and long-term health outcomes.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this brief motivational interview is safe for altering drinking behavior?

Research has shown that brief motivational interviewing (MI) is generally safe for people. Studies involving individuals with alcohol use problems have found this method effective in improving drinking habits without significant side effects. For instance, one study with veterans found that group motivational interviewing helped them drink less often. Additionally, research in emergency rooms has demonstrated positive results with brief MI for alcohol use, again without major negative effects. These findings suggest that brief MI is well-tolerated and safe for those seeking to change their drinking habits. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores a unique approach for reducing alcohol use in injured patients. Unlike standard treatments that often involve medication or long-term counseling, this method uses a brief motivational interview combined with informational pamphlets. This approach leverages personal motivation to inspire change, potentially offering a quicker and more accessible option for patients who might not engage with traditional longer-term therapies. The goal is to empower individuals with tailored, immediate support that could lead to significant behavioral change.

What evidence suggests that this brief motivational interview is effective for reducing harmful alcohol use?

Research has shown that Brief Motivational Interviews (BMI), which participants in this trial may receive, can help reduce harmful drinking. These one-on-one sessions are particularly effective for college students struggling with alcohol abuse. Studies indicate that BMI improves drinking habits over a year, especially for young adults aged 22-29. These interviews have successfully lowered risky drinking in various healthcare settings. Overall, BMI encourages individuals to reflect on their drinking and make healthier choices. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Garth H. Utter, MD, MSc

Principal Investigator

University of California, Davis

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who've been admitted to the trauma ward or ICU, can speak English or Spanish, and are able to consent. It's not for those under 18, non-English/Spanish speakers, people with severe psychiatric illnesses, or those incarcerated.

Inclusion Criteria

I am mentally and physically capable of agreeing to and participating in the study.

I have been admitted to the trauma ward or ICU.

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Severe Psychiatric illness

Incarcerated

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive a brief motivational interview and an informational pamphlet on alcohol use

5-10 minutes

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol use behavior and re-admissions

12 months

3 contacts (telephone)

Long-term Follow-up

Participants are monitored for hospital re-admissions and DUI incidents

2 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Brief Motivational Interview

Trial Overview The study tests if a short motivational talk can change drinking habits in injured patients. The goal is to see if this reduces re-hospitalizations due to alcohol-related injuries, DUI arrests, and harmful drinking patterns.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: 2 Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Intervention group receives pamphlet on alcohol and self referral information in addition to brief motivational interview

Group II: 1 Active Control 1 Intervention

Control group to receive informational pamphlet on alcohol use and list of self referral agencies

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Davis

Lead Sponsor

Trials

958

Recruited

4,816,000+

California Office of Traffic Safety

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

1,900+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a randomized trial involving 186 seriously injured individuals from alcohol-related crashes, brief counseling led to the lowest rate of binge drinking at 12 months, with an average of 1.97 binges per month compared to higher rates in other groups.

While the brief counseling intervention did not show a statistically significant difference compared to simple advice or control groups, it suggests that more intensive interventions may be beneficial in reducing binge drinking among this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Binge drinking, sensible drinking, and abstinence after alcohol-related vehicular crashes: the role of intervention versus screening. Sommers, MS., Dyehouse, JM., Howe, SR.[2016]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3383096/

Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Reduction of Alcohol ... Individually-delivered interventions using MI have been found most effective for the management of alcohol abuse among college students (Carey et al., 2007).

2. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2797548

Effect of a Novel Brief Motivational Intervention for Alcohol ... The beneficial effect of brief MI is in line with other trials in the ED showing positive alcohol use outcomes, including studies using brief MI ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724624000970

The influence of age on brief motivational intervention for ... This exploratory study shows that BMI was associated with significantly better 12-month alcohol outcomes among patients aged 22-29 years.

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.1008832/full

Effectiveness of a brief motivational intervention in the ... The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention, based on a MI, in patients with risky alcohol use attended in Primary Care (PC).

5. recoveryanswers.org recoveryanswers.org/research-post/testing-active-ingredients-motivational-interviewing-reduce-harmful-alcohol-use/

Testing the active ingredients of motivational interviewing ... This study showed that for adults with problem drinking who are seeking to cut down, receiving brief advice and encouragement to cut down on their own was just ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6121710/

Dismantling Motivational Interviewing: Effects on Initiation ... All participants significantly reduced their drinking by week 8, but reductions were equivalent across conditions. The hypothesis that baseline motivation would ...

7. uptodate.com uptodate.com/contents/substance-use-disorders-motivational-interviewing

Substance use disorders: Motivational interviewing - UpToDate In a trial including 118 veterans with alcohol use disorder, group motivational interviewing was found to have a positive effect on frequency of ...

8. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04881500

NCT04881500 | Impact of a Brief Motivational Intervention ... The primary outcome is the perceived ability of patients to control their own alcohol consumption measured on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 100 ...

9. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8939890/

Motivational interviewing for substance abuse - PMC Compared to no treatment control MI showed a significant effect on substance use which was strongest at post‐intervention SMD 0.79, (95% CI 0.48 to 1.09) and ...