Moderate Drinking for Alcohol Use Disorders

Status: Modest Research Support

Description

Moderate Drinking (MD) is a web application based on principles of behavioral self-control training. It is a structured yet interactive, individualized program that guides users to set goals, self-monitor their behavior, and get detailed feedback on their progress on the basis of their input. MD has modules addressing motivation, identifying and managing triggers, developing alternatives, problem solving, dealing with lapses and relapses, considering abstinence, and self-monitoring one's mood. It recommends first choosing a goal (abstinence or moderation), building motivation for change, "doing a 30" (a self-imposed and flexible period of abstinence that can range from 1-30 days), setting drinking goals/limits, and then self- monitoring of drinking. Users are asked to enter their self-monitoring data when they log back onto the site which the program then uses to generate detailed feedback about their progress. Although it recommends going through the modules in sequence, users can choose which modules might best meet their needs More details are available in Hester, Delaney, Campbell, & Handmaker (2009).

Key References (in reverse chronological order)

• Hester, R. K., Delaney, H. D., Campbell, W., & Handmaker, N. (2009). A web application for moderation training: Initial results of a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 37, 266-276. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2009.03.001.
• Rotgers, F., Kern, M., & Hoeltzel, R. (2002). Responsible drinking: The path to moderation. Berkeley, CA: New Harbinger.

Clinical Resources

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Training Opportunities

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