Tailored digital alcohol intervention targeting risky drinkers looking for help online to reduce their drinking

Purpose and aimsThis project aims to investigate if tailoring a digital alcohol intervention with respect to individuals´ motives for drinking and readiness to change improves the effectiveness of the intervention.MethodsIn a previous randomised controlled trial, we found that access to a digital alcohol intervention reduced weekly consumption and heavy drinking among individuals who were searching online for help.

In this project, we will conduct a second randomised controlled trial in the same population to estimate the effects of a tailored version of the intervention.Adult risky drinkers with access to a mobile phone will be eligible to participate and will be randomised equally to the tailored and non-tailored intervention.

Participants and research personnel will both be blinded to allocation.Primary outcomes will be weekly consumption and frequency of heavy drinking episodes. Multilevel regression will be used to estimate the effects of tailoring.

We anticipate that between 1750 and 2200 participants will be necessary to recruit to establish if there are relevant effects of tailoring.

Our previous research assures us that this number can be achieved over a maximum of 12 months.PlanDuring the first six months of the project, content will be developed for the tailored intervention. From months 6 to 18, participants will be recruited to the trial and interventions administered.

Follow-up data will be collected from months 10 to 22, and from months 22 to 36 statistical analyses will be conducted and manuscripts will be prepared for publication.

The projects’ budget will be used to finance the work force and for recruitment.RelevanceAlcohol consumption causes a major burden on the physical and mental health of those who drink, those in their proximity, and society in general.

Current efforts to reduce risky alcohol consumption in Sweden have reached their limits, made evident by the persistent high rates of risky drinking in the general population over the past decade.

To avoid another lost decade, we need to establish novel ways of reaching further into the community with interventions which are effective.

The intervention which is being further investigated in this project has the potential of supporting those who are looking for help, without barriers of shame and stigma which are common in other settings.