Severity of Baseline Alcohol Use as a Moderator of Brief Interventions in the Emergency Department

Blow, F. C.; Ilgen, M. A.; Walton, M. A.; Czyz, E. K.; McCammon, R.; Chermack, S. T.; Cunningham, R. M.; Barry, K. L.

doi:10.1093/alcalc/agp031

Cited by 43Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesAlcohol Consumption and Health EffectsBehavioral Health and Interventions

Severity of Baseline Alcohol Use as a Moderator of Brief Interventions in the Emergency Department

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Blow, F. C., Ilgen, M. A., Walton, M. A., Czyz, E. K., McCammon, R., Chermack, S. T., Cunningham, R. M., Barry, K. L.·2009·Alcohol and Alcoholism

DOI 10.1093/alcalc/agp031PMC PMC2765353

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Abstract

Aims This study examines whether the severity of baseline alcohol consumption/consequences moderates the effect of an alcohol brief intervention (BI) in the emergency department (ED). Methods Injured patients (N = 494) were recruited from an ED, randomly assigned to receive brief advice or not and completed a 12-month follow-up interview. Results A significant interaction was found between severity of baseline alcohol consumption (i.e. average weekly, binge drinking) and receipt of a BI on alcohol consumption at 12 months. The form of this interaction indicates that the BI group tended to report lower alcohol consumption at follow-up than the untreated group especially in those who had reported high baseline consumption. Severity of alcohol consequences at baseline did not significantly impact the effect of the BI on 12-month outcomes. Conclusion ED patients with higher alcohol consumption benefit from BI. In some cases, the BI's effects may be enhanced for patients who are heavier drinkers, perhaps due to a greater opportunity to develop a discrepancy between current behavior and future goals.

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The ED-SIPS trial and others also included all drinkers with AUDIT ≥8, citing literature that those with alcohol dependence might benefit from a brief intervention.
“That said, the ED-SIPS trial and others also included all drinkers AUDIT ≥8, citing literature that those with alcohol dependence might benefit from a brief intervention [14,39].”
From Effectiveness of a brief intervention and text-based booster in the emergency department to reduce harmful and hazardous alcohol use: A pragmatic randomized adaptive clinical trial in Moshi, Tanzania (2025) · cites this paper as [39]

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Effectiveness of a brief intervention and text-based booster in the emergency department to reduce harmful and hazardous alcohol use: A pragmatic randomized adaptive clinical trial in Moshi, Tanzania
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“[26,27,33] This reinforces the need for emergency-based brief interventions to improve outcomes following TBI.”
RISK TAKING AS AN OUTCOME OF AN ALCOHOL HARM REDUCTION TRIAL
Risi, M. M. (2019) · doi:10.23860/thesis-risi-megan-2019
“number of drinks per week, number of drinks per occasion, and heavy episodic (binge) drinking (Aseltine, Katz, & Geragosian, 2010; Blow et al., 2009; Curry, Ludman, Grothaus, Donovan, & Kim, 2003; Saitz, Svikis, D’Onofrio, Kraemer, & Pearl, 2006; Trinks, Festin, Bendtsen, & Nilsen, 2010).”

Authors: Blow, F. C., Ilgen, M. A., Walton, M. A., Czyz, E. K., McCammon, R., Chermack, S. T., Cunningham, R. M., & Barry, K. L.
Affiliations: United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author: Blow, F. C.
ORCID: Ilgen, M. A.
Walton, M. A.
Czyz, E. K.
McCammon, R.
Cunningham, R. M.
Barry, K. L.
Venue: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2009-08-19
Volume: 44
Issue: 5
Pages: 486-490
ISSN: 0735-0414 (ISSN-L)
1464-3502
DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agp031
PMC: PMC2765353
OpenAlex: W2074141663
Cited by: 43
References: 0
Citations by year: 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 9 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2012: 1
FWCI: 2.25
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Locations: Alcohol and Alcoholism (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA11629, R01AA011629)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Keywords: brief alcohol intervention, emergency department, binge drinking, alcohol consequences, moderation, trauma patients, alcohol use outcomes, heavy drinkers
MeSH terms: Adult, Aged, Alcohol Drinking, Emergency Services, Psychiatric, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Goals, Humans, Life Style, Male, Middle Aged, Psychotherapy, Brief, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index

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Severity of Baseline Alcohol Use as a Moderator of Brief Interventions in the Emergency Department

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