Substance-focused SBI as a Complement to Internet-based Psychiatric Treatment: RCT (eScreeniPsy)

Substance-use Focused Screening and Brief Intervention as a Complement to Internet-based Psychiatric Treatment for Depression, Panic Disorder or Social Phobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: This study evaluates the efficacy of eScreen for internet psychiatry patients treated for major depressive disorder, panic anxiety and social phobia. The eScreen brief Internet intervention for problematic alcohol and drug use offers self-screening, in-depth self-reporting, personalized feedback and treatment recommendations as well as an electronic diary. Progress over time is shown in diagrams detailing consumption levels. Method: This is a two-armed randomized controlled design, measuring outcomes in terms of changes in problematic alcohol use up to one year after study recruitment. Participants with problematic alcohol use (AUDIT >7 for men and >5 for women) and/or problematic drug use (DUDIT > 1 for both men and women) are randomized into one of two groups: T1, eScreen referral or Control group. Outcomes on alcohol and drug use as well as health-related symptoms are assessed after 3, 6 and 12 months. The hypothesis is that the group receiving the eScreen intervention will reduce their alcohol/drug use to a larger extent than the control group at follow-up compared to the baseline level.

This study evaluated the efficacy of eScreen for internet psychiatry patients treated for major depressive disorder, panic anxiety and social phobia. The eScreen brief Internet intervention for problematic alcohol and drug use offers self-screening, in-depth self-reporting, personalized feedback and treatment recommendations as well as an electronic diary. Progress over time is shown in diagrams detailing consumption levels. The design was a two-armed randomized controlled design, measuring outcomes in terms of changes in problematic alcohol use up to one year after study recruitment. Participants with problematic alcohol use (AUDIT >7 for men and >5 for women) and/or problematic drug use (DUDIT > 1 for both men and women) were randomized into one of two groups: T1, eScreen referral or Control group. Outcomes on alcohol and drug use as well as health-related symptoms are assessed after 3, 6 and 12 months. The hypothesis was that the group receiving the eScreen intervention would reduce their alcohol/drug use to a larger extent than the control group at follow-up compared to the baseline level. The results have not yet been analyzed due to technical issues. However, qualitative interviews have been conducted with participants and our intention is to publish the qualitative results in tandem with the quantitative results available.

Web based self-monitoring of problematic alcohol and drug use, and Internet-based treatment for depression or anxiety

Access to the eScreen platform offering assessment of alcohol and drug use, with automated feedback on problematic or non-problematic use. Follow-up over time based on user needs.

The primary outcome measure for this trial is the change in the total AUDIT score for the first three AUDIT questions, as a measure of alcohol consumption only, referred to as the AUDIT-C.

Change in total AUDIT score, as a summarized measure of alcohol use (including alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems).

Health-related questions on wellbeing, sleep, concentration, energy, social life, sadness and current life meaning, etc.

Inclusion Criteria: AUDIT >7 for men and AUDIT >5 for women, and/or DUDIT >0 Exclusion Criteria: DUDIT = 0 and AUDIT <8 (men) or <6 (women)

Sinadinovic K, Berman AH, Hasson D, Wennberg P. Internet-based assessment and self-monitoring of problematic alcohol and drug use. Addict Behav. 2010 May;35(5):464-70. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.12.021. Epub 2010 Jan 4. Erratum In: Addict Behav. 2010 Sep;35(9):853.

Sinadinovic K, Wennberg P, Berman AH. Targeting problematic users of illicit drugs with Internet-based screening and brief intervention: a randomized controlled trial. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Nov 1;126(1-2):42-50. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.04.016. Epub 2012 May 20.

Sinadinovic K, Wennberg P, Berman AH. Internet-based screening and brief intervention for illicit drug users: a randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2014 Mar;75(2):313-8. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2014.75.313.