Brief interventions in dependent drinkers: a comparative prospective analysis in two hospitals. Cobain K., Owens L., Kolamunnage-Dona R. et al. Request reprint Alcohol and Alcoholism: 2011, 46(4), p. 434–440.
Unusually this study in England’s north west region assessed the impact of relatively brief advice, not on adult drinkers selected to be at risk from their drinking, but those likely already to be dependent. As with studies of non-dependent drinkers, despite their heavy drinking they were not seeking treatment for drink problems but attending a hospital accident and emergency department for some other reason. Patients whose attendance was thought to be related to drinking were referred for assessment to specialist hospital or research nurses by emergency department triage staff in two hospitals in neighbouring cities. The assessments included the AUDIT questionnaire and for patients who scored as possibly dependent, the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire. Patients indicated by both to possibly be at least mildly dependent were asked to join the study.
