Study Comparing Telehealth and In-Person Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students Aged 18 to 26

What this Trial Is About

This research evaluates the effectiveness of delivering the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students BASICS through telehealth compared to in-person BASICS and a lower-intensity usual treatment. The study focuses on college students who engage in hazardous drinking and aims to determine if telehealth delivery maintains the key features of the traditional approach while improving accessibility. The research addresses the need to understand whether remote interventions remain as effective as in-person after adaptations made during the COVID pandemic. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups in-person BASICS, tele-BASICS via Zoom, or a control group receiving an online alcohol education program without facilitator interaction. Both BASICS groups receive one-hour personalized feedback interviews covering drinking patterns, norms, risks, beliefs, and protective strategies. The control group accesses a text-based online program with alcohol information, laws, resources, and personalized feedback but no live facilitator. Students will complete follow-up assessments at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the initial session to measure alcohol use and related consequences over a year. Additional evaluations include program completion rates shortly after the session. Participants must have access to internet and webcam for telehealth sessions. The study spans from baseline through one year of follow-up, aiming to monitor changes and outcomes related to alcohol consumption and its effects.

Evaluating Telehealth Delivery of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students