Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Jun 6;18(1):257.
doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-2005-5.

Comparing counselling models for the hazardous use of alcohol at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Eleonor Säfsten  1 , Yvonne Forsell  2   3 , Mats Ramstedt  4   5 , Maria Rosaria Galanti  2   3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparing counselling models for the hazardous use of alcohol at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Eleonor Säfsten et al. Trials. .

Abstract

Background: Hazardous and harmful consumption of alcohol is a leading cause of preventable disease and premature deaths. Modifying the amount and pattern of risky alcohol consumption conveys substantial benefits to individuals and to society at large. Telephone helplines provide a feasible alternative to face-to-face counselling in order to increase the reach of brief interventions aiming at modifying the hazardous and harmful use of alcohol. However, there is a lack of studies on the implementation and evaluation of population-based telephone services for the prevention and treatment of alcohol misuse.

Methods/design: A randomised controlled trial was designed to compare a brief, structured intervention to usual care within the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline (SAH), concerning their effectiveness on decreasing the hazardous use of alcohol. Between May 2015 and December 2017, about 300 callers are to be individually randomised with a 1:1 ratio to a brief, structured intervention (n = 150) or to usual care (n = 150). The brief, structured intervention consists of the delivery of a self-help booklet followed by one proactive call from SAH counsellors to monitor and give feedback about the client's progression. Callers assigned to usual care receive telephone counselling according to existing practice, i.e., motivational interviewing in a tailored and client-driven combination of proactive and reactive calls. The primary outcome is defined as a change from a higher to a lower AUDIT risk-level category between baseline and follow-up. General linear modeling will be used to calculate risk ratios of the outcome events. The primary analysis will follow an intention-to-treat (ITT) approach.

Discussion: The trial is designed to evaluate the effectiveness in decreasing the hazardous and harmful consumption of alcohol of a brief, structured intervention compared to usual care when delivered at the SAH. The results of the study will be used locally to improve the effectiveness of the service provided at the SAH. Additionally, they will expand the evidence base about optimal counselling models in population-based telephone services for alcohol misuse prevention and treatment.

Trial registration: ISRCNT.com, ID: ISRCTN13160878 . Retrospectively registered on 18 January 2016.

Keywords: Brief intervention; Counselling; Hazardous drinking; Randomised controlled trial; Telephone helpline.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic overview from recruitment to follow-up endpoint of the randomised controlled trial (RCT) at the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) schedule of enrolment, intervention and assessment, including information of staff members and task duration. *Usual care – tailored counselling mixed approach reactive and proactive calls as agreed. Starts from week 1 or when client wishes to contact the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline (SAH) and continues as needed
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Forouzanfar MH, Afshin A, Alexander LT, Anderson HR, Bhutta ZA, Biryukov S, et al. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016;388:1659–724. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alkoholvanor—nationella resultat och tidsserier 2015 [Alcohol use—national results and time series 2015]. Folkhälsomyndigheten [Public Health Agency of Sweden]. 2016. https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/folkhalsorapportering-statistik/stat.... Accessed 15 Aug 2016.
    1. Jarl J, Johansson P, Eriksson A, Eriksson M, Gerdtham UG, Hemstrom O, et al. The societal cost of alcohol consumption: an estimation of the economic and human cost including health effects in Sweden, 2002. Eur J Health Econ. 2008;9:351–60. doi: 10.1007/s10198-007-0082-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cunningham JA, Breslin FC. Only one in three people with alcohol abuse or dependence ever seek treatment. Addict Behav. 2004;29:221–3. doi: 10.1016/S0306-4603(03)00077-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blomqvist J, Cunningham J, Wallander L, Collin L. Att förbättra sina dryckesvanor: om olika mönster för förändring och om vad vården betyder [Improving one’s drinking habits—on different patterns of change and on the role of alcohol treatment]. Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, SoRAD. 2007. http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:199785. Accessed 15 Aug 2016.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Associated data