Down Your Drink

Description:

Down Your Drink is an interactive website designed to help you assess if you are drinking too much, and to learn how to manage your drinking and adopt a healthier pattern of alcohol use. It is a three phase program; Phase 1 involves contemplation and preparation, Phase 2 centres on action, and Phase 3 is for maintenance. Each phase comprises a number of levels including information about drinking and health risks, assessment tools to measure alcohol intake, track thoughts about drinking and identify triggers, and also tools and techniques to reduce alcohol consumption. The latter tools draw from cognitive behavioural techniques such as identifying thoughts and beliefs about drinking, making strategies to cut down, enhancing motivation, planning, and communication skills such as assertiveness. There is also a drinking and thoughts diary, blood alcohol concentration estimator and unit counter to assist in tracking and moderating your alcohol consumption over time.

Service URL:

http://www.downyourdrink.org.uk/

Agency Responsible:

University College London.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Psychological – CBT. Also includes educational and lifestyle components

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules). The full program takes 6 weeks to complete.

Support Option:

Automated only.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Alcohol.

Target Audience:

Adult. Hazardous and harmful drinkers

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

None available.

Research evidence

Research Trials:

3

Research RCTs:

1

Outcome Summary:

A randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing the Down Your Drink (DYD) program to a text-based information website (control condition) failed to find any significant differences in levels or patterns of alcohol consumption or secondary outcome measures between participants allocated to DYD intervention or the control group. These findings do not provide support that the DYD intervention is any more effective in reducing alcohol consumption among hazardous and harmful drinkers than non-interactive text based information. However, alcohol consumption did reduce substantially in those allocated to the DYD intervention, suggesting that it may be a useful tool in reducing alcohol consumption, but that other intervention methods may also be effective. Two other uncontrolled trials and qualitative research also provide evidence that the DYD program is effective in reducing alcohol intake and improving health. An uncontrolled exploratory study found that participants completing the DYD program showed significant decreases in alcohol consumption and problems with alcohol, and improvements in mental health symptoms. Qualitative data obtained from this pilot study and focus groups with GPs indicate that the program is acceptable to both consumers and general practitioners. In a subsequent study, those who completed the course showed significant reductions in self-reported dependency, alcohol related problems and mental health symptoms.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

Evidence Evaluation studies:
Wallace, P., Murray, E., McCambridge, J., Khadjesari, Z., White, I. R., Thompson, S. G., Kalaitzaki, E., Godfrey, C., Linke, S. (2011). On-line randomized controlled trial of an internet based psychologically enhanced intervention for people with hazardous alcohol consumption. PLoS One, 6(3), e14740.

Linke, S., Murray, E., Butler, C., Wallace, P. (2007). Internet-based interactive health intervention for the promotion of sensible drinking: patterns of use and potential impact on members of the general public. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 9(2), e10.

Wallace, P., Linke, S., Murray, E., McCambridgez, J., & Thompson, S. (2006). A randomized controlled trial of an interactive Web-based intervention for reducing alcohol consumption. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 12(S1), 52-54.

Additional references:
McCambridge, J., Kalaitzaki, E., White, I. R., Khadjesari, Z., Murray, E., Linke, S., Thompson, S. G., Godfrey, C., Wallace, P. (2011) Impact of length or relevance of questionnaires on attrition in online trials: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(4): e96.

Khadjesari, Z., Murray, E., Kalaitzaki, E., White, I. R., McCambridge, J., Thompson, S. G., Wallace, P., & Godfrey, C. (2011). Impact and costs of incentives to reduce attrition in online trials: two randomized controlled trials. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e26.

Linke, S., McCambridge, J., Khadjesari, Z., Wallace, P. & Murray, E. (2008). Development of a Psychologically Enhanced Interactive Online Intervention for Hazardous Drinking. Alcohol & Alcoholism Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 669-674.

Murray, E., McCambridge, J., Khadjesari, Z., White, I. R., Thompson, S. G., Godfrey, C., Linke, S. & Wallace, P. (2007). The DYD-RCT protocol: an on-line randomised controlled trial of an interactive computer-based intervention compared with a standard information website to reduce alcohol consumption among hazardous drinkers. BMC Public Health, 7, 306.

Linke, S., Harrison, R. & Wallace, P. A. (2005). Web-based intervention used in general practice for people with excessive alcohol consumption. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 11(S1), 39-41.

Linke, S., Brown, A. & Wallace, P. (2004). Down your drink: a web based intervention for people with excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 39(1), 29-32.