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Sohi I, Shield KD, Rehm J, Monteiro M. Digital interventions for reducing alcohol use in general populations: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken) 2023; 47:1813-1832. [PMID: 37864535 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
This article updates a 2017 review on the effectiveness of digital interventions for reducing alcohol use in the general population. An updated systematic search of the MEDLINE database was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2017 to June 2022 that evaluated the effectiveness of digital interventions compared with no interventions, minimal interventions, and face-to-face interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use in the general population and, that also reported changes in alcohol use (quantity, frequency, quantity per drinking day, heavy episodic drinking (HED), or alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) scores). A secondary analysis was performed that analyzed data from RCTs conducted in students. The review was not preregistered. The search produced 2224 articles. A total of 80 studies were included in the review, 35 of which were published after the last systematic review. A total of 66, 20, 18, 26, and 9 studies assessed the impact of digital interventions on alcohol quantity, frequency, quantity per drinking day, HED, and AUDIT scores, respectively. Individuals randomized to the digital interventions drank 4.12 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.88, 5.36) fewer grams of alcohol per day, had 0.17 (95% CI 0.06, 0.29) fewer drinking days per week, drank approximately 3.89 (95% CI: 0.40, 7.38) fewer grams of alcohol per drinking day, had 1.11 (95% CI: 0.32, 1.91) fewer HED occasions per month, and had an AUDIT score 3.04 points lower (95% CI: 2.23, 3.85) than individuals randomized to the control condition. Significant reductions in alcohol quantity, frequency, and HED, but not quantity per drinking day, were observed among students. Digital interventions show potential for reducing alcohol use in general populations and could be used widely at the population level to reduce alcohol-attributable harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivneet Sohi
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin D Shield
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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Bonfiglio NS, Mascia ML, Cataudella S, Penna MP. Digital Help for Substance Users (SU): A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph191811309. [PMID: 36141580 PMCID: PMC9517354 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The estimated number of Substance Users (SU) globally has currently reached a very high number and is still increasing. This aspect necessitates appropriate interventions for prevention and specific treatments. The literature shows that digital treatments can be useful in the context of health services and substance abuse. This systematic review focuses mainly on research on the effectiveness of digital treatments for SU. Data sources included studies found on PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and WebOfScience (WOS) database searches. The following keywords were used: TITLE (digital OR computer OR software OR tablet OR app OR videogame OR seriousgame OR virtualreality) AND ABSTRACT((mental AND health) AND (addiction OR dependence OR substance OR drug)). We focused on peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 through 2021 using PRISMA guidelines. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria (i.e., type of intervention, efficacy in terms of misuse of substances and scored outcomes from questionnaire or toxicology tests, study methodology). The studies included investigations of specific digital treatments for SU of various kinds of drugs. The interventions were administered using personal computers, smartphones, or, in a few cases, tablets. Most of the interventions focused on the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model and/or on the use strategies, tips, or feedback. A minority provided information or training programs. The current review shows that digital treatments and interventions are effective in reducing the frequency of use, augmenting abstinence, or reducing the gravity of dependence for most of the studies at post-treatment. However, due to the heterogeneity of the variables (i.e., substance type, digital tool used, and treatment administered), there was a reduced generalizability of the results. This review highlights the need to continue the research in this field, and above all, to create effective digital protocols.
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