Brief Intervention for Alcohol Abuse in Medical Inpatients?

Brief interventions for problem drinking are routinely recommended for medical outpatients. In most studies validating this approach, the participants have had varying levels of alcohol misuse and abuse, but not dependence. These researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a brief intervention among 341 medical inpatients with problem drinking (men: >14 drinks per week or ≥5 per occasion; women: >11 per week or ≥4 per occasion). Most subjects (77%) were alcohol-dependent, and 57% reported use of other substances. Subjects were randomized to 30-minute motivational counseling or to care as usual.

The intervention and control groups showed no statistically significant differences in receipt of care for alcoholism (49% and 44%) at 3 months or in …