A brief alcohol intervention for hazardously drinking incarcerated women

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 2010-03, Vol.105 (3), p.466-475
• Main Authors: Stein, Michael D., Caviness, Celeste M., Anderson, Bradley J., Hebert, Meg, Clarke, Jennifer G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Alcoholic beverages; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - psychology; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; Counseling; Drug addiction; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; incarceration; Intervention; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Motivation; Prisoners; Prisoners - education; Prisoners - psychology; Prisons; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy, Brief; Women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02813.x

ABSTRACT Objective  To test the hypothesis that among hazardously drinking incarcerated women who are returning to the community, a brief alcohol intervention will result in less alcohol use at follow‐up relative to standard of care. Methods  Eligible participants endorsed hazardous alcohol consumption—four or more drinks at a time on at least 3 separate days in the previous 3 months or a score of 8 or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Participants were randomized to either an assessment‐only condition or to two brief motivationally focused sessions, the first delivered during incarceration, the second 1 month later after community re‐entry. Participants recalled drinking behaviors at 3 and 6 months after the baseline interview using a 90‐day time‐line follow‐back method. Results  The 245 female participants averaged 34 years of age, and were 71% Caucasian. The mean percentage of alcohol use days in the 3 months prior to incarceration was 51.7% and heavy alcohol use days was 43.9%. Intervention effects on abstinent days were statistically significant at 3 months (odds ratio = 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.17, 3.30); the percentage of days abstinent was 68% for those randomized to intervention and 57% for controls. At 6 months the effect of the intervention was attenuated and no longer statistically significant. Conclusions  Among incarcerated women who reported hazardous drinking, a two‐session brief alcohol intervention increased abstinent days at 3 months, but this effect decayed by 6 months. Study participants continued to drink heavily after return to the community. More intensive intervention pre‐release and after re‐entry may benefit hazardously drinking incarcerated women.