Mechanisms for Alcohol Treatment Change [MATCH] Study (MATCH)

A 5-arm randomized trial to determine what components of a text message intervention are necessary to reduce hazardous drinking among young adults and mechanisms through which these changes occur.

Young adults ages 18-25 have high rates of hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. The Emergency Department (ED) provides an important opportunity to identify young adult hazardous drinkers who could benefit from interventions. A Text Message (TM) intervention was shown to reduce alcohol consumption among young adult ED patients, showing durable effects over 9-months. The TM intervention uses behavior change techniques with the largest effect sizes in an alcohol intervention meta-analysis: "goal commitment" and "self-monitoring", along with real-time "feedback". However, the unique effect of these ingredients, and mechanisms (processes occurring within the individual) through which they operate to reduce drinking remain unclear, a critical gap addressed by this project. Young adult ED patients (ages 18-25) who screen positive for hazardous drinking will be recruited to participate in a randomized trial to determine how best to help individuals reduce hazardous drinking. All participants will be asked to complete web-based surveys at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks after enrollment, complete brief psychomotor tasks weekly for 14 weeks, and respond to text messages each Thursday and Sunday for the next 12 weeks. Those randomized to the TM interventions will additionally receive feedback on their text reports. The four TM intervention arms are: (1) Drinking Cognition Feedback (DCF), (2) Alcohol Risk Feedback (ARF), (3) Adaptive Goal Support (AGS) and (4) a combination of DCF, ARF, and AGS=COMBO). Study results have implications for designing efficient mobile interventions, and developing a dynamic theory of behavior change.

12 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing feedback related only to pre-weekend drinking cognitions (plans, desire to get drunk).

12 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing feedback related only to post-weekend alcohol consumption (max drinks consumed on any occasion over the weekend).

10 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing adaptive goal support (based on running average of max drinks consumed).

12 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing feedback related only to pre-weekend drinking cognitions (plans, desire to get drunk).

12 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing feedback related only to post-weekend alcohol consumption (max drinks consumed on any occasion over the weekend).

12 weeks of interactive text messaging focused on providing adaptive goal support (based on running average of max drinks consumed).

Inclusion Criteria: total score of >2 for women or >3 for men on the AUDIT-C at least 1 binged drinking episode in the prior 30 days Exclusion Criteria: no cell phone with text messaging have been diagnosed with an alcohol or substance use disorder pregnant or planning pregnancy taking medicine for a psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety) taking any medicine that could interact with alcohol

Suffoletto B, Field M, Chung T. Attentional and approach biases to alcohol cues among young adult drinkers: An ecological momentary assessment study. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2020 Dec;28(6):649-658. doi: 10.1037/pha0000343. Epub 2019 Dec 30.