Screening and Intervention to Prevent Alcohol Misuse

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated its 2004 recommendation on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to prevent alcohol misuse (JW Gen Med Apr 13 2004). The 2013 findings and recommendations include:

Screening adolescents:

The USPSTF found insufficient evidence to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care.

Screening adults:

• Clinicians should screen adults for alcohol misuse and provide those engaged in alcohol misuse with brief behavioral counseling.

• Brief behavioral counseling interventions are effective in reducing heavy drinking episodes and in promoting adherence to recommended drinking limits. Brief (6–15 minutes), multicontact (>…