Clinical and demographic patient characteristics, alcohol treatment goal preference and goal attainment during computer-assisted therapy with Breaking Free Online (2019)

Background: Few alcohol misuse interventions can be tailored to the individual and allow individuals to set personalized treatment goals, including reduction/moderation or abstinence. This study examined outcomes from a tailorable computer-assisted therapy program, Breaking Free Online (BFO), which prompts users to set personalized goals.
Methods: Participants completed baseline and post-treatment assessments of alcohol dependence and use and biopsychosocial functioning. Whether baseline clinical and demographic participant characteristics predicted preferred treatment goal, and whether these characteristics and preferred treatment goal then predicted treatment goal attainment, were examined.
Results: Participants who prioritized abstinence were more likely to be abstinent at baseline and to have received previous treatment, than participants who prioritized reduction/moderation. Participants who preferred reduction/moderation demonstrated better biopsychosocial functioning and lower alcohol dependence at baseline than those who preferred abstinence. Lower biopsychosocial impairment, lower alcohol dependence, and lower alcohol consumption were associated with a higher likelihood of achieving treatment goals, as was having abstinence as a goal. There were significant interactions between baseline alcohol consumption/severity of alcohol dependence and treatment goal preference.
Conclusions: Findings may inform guidance around recommended treatment goals for individuals engaging with treatment for alcohol misuse.