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Brief Alcohol Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

NCJ Number
306452
Journal
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment Volume: 51 Dated: 2015 Pages: 1-18
Author(s)
Emily E. Tanner-Smith; Mark W. Lipsey
Date Published
2015
Length
18 pages
Annotation

The authors of this study report findings from a meta-analysis summarizing the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults, concluding that brief alcohol interventions yield beneficial effects on alcohol-related outcomes that are modest but potentially worthwhile given their brevity and low cost.

Abstract

This study reports findings from a meta-analysis summarizing the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents (age 11–18) and young adults (age 19–30). The authors identified 185 eligible study samples using a comprehensive literature search and synthesized findings using random-effects meta-analyses with robust standard errors. Overall, brief alcohol interventions led to significant reductions in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among adolescents (g = 0.27 and g = 0.19) and young adults (g = 0.17 and g = 0.11). These effects persisted for up to one year after intervention and did not vary across participant demographics, intervention length, or intervention format. However, certain intervention modalities (e.g., motivational interviewing) and components (e.g., decisional balance, goal-setting exercises) were associated with larger effects. The authors conclude that brief alcohol interventions yield beneficial effects on alcohol-related outcomes for adolescents and young adults that are modest but potentially worthwhile given their brevity and low cost. Publisher Abstract Provided