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Comparative Study
. 2020 Mar;34(2):308-319.
doi: 10.1037/adb0000538. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Evaluating the combination of a Brief Motivational Intervention plus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and heavy episodic drinking in college students

Paola Pedrelli  1 , Brian Borsari  2 , Jennifer E Merrill  3 , Lauren B Fisher  1 , Maren Nyer  1 , Benjamin G Shapero  1 , Amy Farabaugh  1 , Emma R Hayden  1 , M Taylor Levine  1 , Maurizio Fava  1 , Roger D Weiss  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Evaluating the combination of a Brief Motivational Intervention plus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and heavy episodic drinking in college students

Paola Pedrelli et al. Psychol Addict Behav. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 34(2) of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (see record 2020-16883-001). In the original article the order of authorship was incorrect. The correct second and third authors should appear instead as Brian Borsari and Jennifer E. Merrill.] Heavy episodic drinking (HED) and depressive symptoms often co-occur among college students and are associated with significant impairment. However, evidence-based treatments for these common co-occurring conditions are not available for college students. The current study compared the effectiveness of a treatment combining Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Brief Motivational Interviewing (CBT-D + BMI) versus Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D) alone among 94 college students with HED and depressive symptoms. Both treatment programs were associated with significant reductions of similar magnitude in HED, alcohol-related problems (ARP), and depressive symptoms at the end of treatment and at the 1-month follow-up assessment. Moderation analyses indicated that, among college students with fewer depressive symptoms at baseline, CBT-D was associated with greater sustained reduction in heavy drinking relative to CBT-D + BMI at the 1-month follow-up. Although the study did not include a no-treatment condition, the magnitude of improvement during treatment in both groups was greater than what is expected with passage of time. Although clinicians in college counseling centers may lack specialty training for co-occurring conditions, CBT-D is widely implemented in college settings. Our findings suggest that CBT-D may reduce both depressive symptoms and HED in college students and may be used to address a significant public health problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Consort Table
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Heavy episodic drinking in the two conditions at high and low levels of depressive symptoms Note: BDI=Beck Depression Inventory; HED= Heavy Episodic Drinking.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Alcohol related problems in the two conditions at high and low levels of HED Note: HED= Heavy Episodic Drinking; ARP=Alcohol Related Problems.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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