Problem drinking and the workplace: an individualized approach to prevention

Abstract

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a brief, individualized, alcohol abuse prevention program designed to reduce problem drinking within the workplace environment. One hundred fifty-five randomly selected employees of a medium-sized company in the food and retail services sector participated in a 6-month controlled worksite prevention trial. Female problem drinkers who received the intervention were more likely than those in the no-treatment control group to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences at follow-up. In addition, there was a significant multivariate treatment effect, suggesting that participants who received the intervention were significantly more likely to reduce drinking frequency at follow-up. Evaluation of attrition rates and reports of participant satisfaction suggest that the intervention was effective in engaging participants at all levels of alcohol consumption.