Sending text messages to people in recovery from alcohol addiction could be just as effective as moderating in person, according to the researchers behind a new experimental trial.
Scientists from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York conducted a remote study where participants were asked by text message to self-score their recovery every week. They were also sent one of four different types of messages that concentrated on the benefits of quitting, the consequences of continuing to drink, and – in some cases – were tailored to the subject’s own personal progress.
The greater results were seen where the text messages were more , including interventions by text when the researchers expected the participant to be most prone to drinking.
The programme could be rolled out more widely as a complement to traditional alcohol intervention.
How the study worked
The single-blind pilot used 152 participants, who said that they were looking to reduce the amount of alcohol that they consumed. They were asked to assess their progress once a week, and sent one of four types of text message every evening.
Two of the four message types – labelled ‘gain-framed’ and ‘loss-framed’ – focused on what the participants had gained by giving up alcohol, and what they stood to lose if they continued to drink. The messages were broadly motivational, including ‘think of all you can achieve if you can control your drinking’ and ‘think of all you have lost as a result of drinking too much’. They were sent at the same time every day.
A third message type – static tailored texts – were set in the context of the day of the week or how long it had been since the subject gave up. They included messages that referred to looking ahead to the weekend, and celebrating a length of time that the person had been sober. Approximately 50% of these messages were tailored based on the participant’s gender, age, drinking habits or severity of consumption.
The final message type – and by far the most effective – took this concept even further. It incorporated the same elements as static tailored texts and added three extra details. Firstly, messages varied based on the participants’ achievement in the prior week. Two additional messages were also sent at their heaviest typical drinking times. But crucially, and this is how the findings could be useful in informing proactive alcohol abuse programmes, participants were able to text a service when they felt as though they were losing control. By sending one of a number of keywords, they would receive just-in-time support to help with their particular situation. For instance, they could text ‘tempt’ to get help resisting a craving, or ‘drink’ when they had succumbed to a temptation to drink. They could also receive support either when they managed to resist a drink on their own, or after they had failed to manage their consumption.
The programme is believed to have been the first study of its kind to recruit a remote population from across the US and deliver automated mobile intervention for problem drinking.
Dr Frederick Muench, associate professor at the Feinstein Institute and the lead researcher in the trial, said: “I am very encouraged by what I see in this study, especially for individuals with limited resources. Today, text messaging is part of our daily routine. If we could find a way to make this subtle but effective communication help those who are trying to drink less succeed when they need encouragement most, then we have created something that can positively impact the 15 million American adults living with an alcohol use disorder.”
Feinstein Institute president and CEO Dr Kevin J Tracey added: “Dr Muench’s study is a great example of how the Feinstein Institute harnesses the power of technology to better understand and treat health conditions.”
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