Digital Mental Health for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
Open accessAbstract
Purpose: Only about 20% of people suffering from substance use disorders access available treatments due to various obstacles; digital interventions could potentially overcome some of these. Meta-analyses suggest the strongest evidence for interventions targeting alcohol use reduction, followed by cannabis and illicit substances. However, most randomized controlled trials (RCTs) used unguided standalone interventions compared to non-active controls, with limited follow-up periods and disregarded comorbidity. This review examines the literature published over the last three years (2016–2019), with a focus on recent RCTs and whether they addressed some of these gaps. Recent findings: Except for digital interventions targeting alcohol use, the number of RCTs in the last three years is limited. Although there is considerable heterogeneity between the studies, most of them applied unguided add-on interventions compared to active control groups, and a limited number investigated guided interventions. In addition, there is a need for longer follow-up periods, active rather than non-active control groups, outcome standardization, and increased focus on comorbidity. Summary: Although the number of studies using guided add-on or blended interventions compared to active controls has increased, future studies should consider our identified gaps and suggestions to further strengthen the evidence of digital interventions for reducing the use of alcohol and other substances.
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Preliminary evidence suggests that digital SUD interventions affect substance use behavior.
“Preliminary evidence suggests that digital SUD interventions affect substance use behavior”
From A Therapeutic Relational Agent for Reducing Problematic Substance Use (Woebot): Development and Usability Study (2021) · cites this paper as [7]
Digital SUD interventions have the potential to reduce the population burden of SUDs.
“have the potential to reduce the population burden of SUDs”
From A Therapeutic Relational Agent for Reducing Problematic Substance Use (Woebot): Development and Usability Study (2021) · cites this paper as [7]
Rigorous evaluation trials of digital interventions targeting nonalcohol substance use are limited.
“However, rigorous evaluation trials of digital interventions targeting nonalcohol substance use are limited [7].”
From A Therapeutic Relational Agent for Reducing Problematic Substance Use (Woebot): Development and Usability Study (2021) · cites this paper as [7]
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“However, rigorous evaluation trials of digital interventions targeting nonalcohol substance use are limited [7].”
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- Authors
- Boumparis, N., Schulte, M. H. J., & Riper, H.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam Public Health (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Riper, Heleen
- Venue
- Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry
- Published
- 2019-11-26
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 352-366
- ISSN
- 2196-3061 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2989579319
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3
- FWCI
- 5.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- VU University Amsterdam
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Keywords
- digital mental health interventions, substance use disorders, alcoholism, cannabis use, illicit drug use, guided intervention, add-on intervention, active control groups, treatment access barriers, comorbidities, follow-up duration, outcome standardization
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