Symposium proceedings published in the February 2005 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research describe several alcohol interventions – based on in-person brief motivational interventions (BMIs) – that are currently offered via the internet.
"BMIs use elements that are common to effective brief interventions," said Scott Walters, symposium organizer and assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health. "A number of studies show that people tend to respond best to certain kinds of interventions, those that provide feedback, are empathic and nonjudgmental, emphasize personal responsibility, and give people several options for how they would like to go about changing their drinking. Interventions that have these elements are more likely to reduce drinking.
"Effective computer interventions basically pull from these common elements. In fact, many drinkers seem to prefer this format. It's a way to save face, and drinkers can begin to look at their drinking in a private and nonjudgmental way."
"Computerized interventions can provide the message immediately," said Walters, "when the drinker might be most interested in getting information. They can also provide a lower-cost and customized intervention to many more drinkers. Considering the problems that alcohol creates for drinkers, as well as for others, the public health potential of these interventions is enormous."
Anonymity, Convenience
"Computerized interventions can also provide anonymity, convenience – they can be done anytime, day or night – and getting feedback that is objective and not influenced by counselor bias," added Hester."Because computerized interventions are relatively new," said Walters, "we have less information about how long their effects last, or how computerized interventions compare to face-to-face interventions in the long term." He added that there are several large-scale studies in progress to see what the impact of these interventions may be en masse, and how long the effect lasts.
"But for many drinkers, the computer is a safe place to explore whether or not they might have a problem with alcohol. Maybe it's something that just piques their interest, or maybe it will motivate them to actually speak with a counselor about the difficulties they're having. Of course, there's nothing in any of this that would preclude the individual from seeking additional services."
