Alcohol abuse treatment can be boosted by online intervention

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by Change | 13 Jan 2010

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Those in need of alcohol addiction support could benefit from an online intervention programme, it has been suggested.

Online intervention could form a part of alcohol abuse therapy thanks to a recent evaluation by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

During the study, it was revealed that individuals were able to reduce their alcohol consumption by 30 per cent if they were offered access to CheckYourDrinking.net, an amount equivalent to six or seven weekly drinks.

This rate, the researchers highlight, is equivalent to the successes of patients receiving face-to-face alcohol addiction support.

Principal investigator Dr John Cunningham explained that, while it is "ideal" for health care professionals to be involved in alcohol addiction recovery, many people are put off because of the stigma attached to receiving therapy.

"Online interventions can help reduce these barriers by allowing people to seek help in their own homes," he said.

"When presented [with drinking] facts in a non-judgmental manner, participants are able to re-evaluate their drinking and may be motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption."

The research was conducted in Canada, where a further study recently revealed that 81 per cent of the country's problem drinkers have access to the internet.

An alcohol addiction programme can alleviate withdrawal symptoms that ex-drinkers may experience, including convulsions, nausea and tremors.

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