Experiences of a therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking. A qualitative study

Linn-Heidi Lunde; Siv-Elin Leirvåg Carlsen; Arne Repål; Tine Nordgreen

doi:10.1016/j.invent.2022.100543

Experiences of a therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking. A qualitative study

Internet Interv. 2022 May 1:28:100543. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2022.100543. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Authors

Linn-Heidi Lunde¹, Siv-Elin Leirvåg Carlsen¹, Arne Repål², Tine Nordgreen^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
² Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Norway.
³ Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
⁴ Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Alcohol is the third leading risk factor for burden of disease in the world, causing significant health damage to the individual as well as costs to the surroundings and society as whole. Internet-delivered psychological interventions may help the individual to address alcohol consumption at an early stage before it develops into more serious problems. There is a need to investigate how participants experience internet-delivered interventions for hazardous and harmful drinking to optimize its usefulness in the target population.

Methods: The present study was part of an open pre-post pilot trial to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioural intervention for hazardous and harmful alcohol use. The aim was to investigate participants` experiences of the intervention and the ways in which the intervention helped them to address their alcohol consumption. Fifteen participants were selected from the open pre-post trial (n = 32), and semi-structured interviews were conducted immediately after participants had completed the treatment. The interviews were analysed using Thematic Analysis.

Results: The results indicate that most of the participants found the intervention to be useful. Participants reported that the intervention made them more aware of the consequences of excessive drinking and gave them tools to cope with their alcohol consumption. Among the perceived advantages were the flexibility and anonymity of the intervention and therapist support. Participants called for more individualisation of the treatment to meet individual needs.

Conclusions: A therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking can help individuals to address their alcohol consumption and give them tools to cope with their drinking. Future studies should examine the feasibility of tailoring modules to individual needs.

Keywords: Hazardous alcohol use; Participant experiences; Therapist-guided internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy.