Drinktest.nl

Description:

Drinktest.nl is a brief online intervention targeted at adults who consume alcohol regularly or excessively. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and includes a screening tool, together with personalised feedback. Users are provided with a series of questions about their weekly alcohol consumption, number of binge drinking occasions, views about their level of alcohol consumption and plans to reduce alcohol intake. Personalised feedback is provided based on the responses given, including possible consequences of your drinking and a comparison to others of the same age/gender. The next section includes questions about drinking patterns, self-efficacy, attitudes and intentions relating to reducing alcohol intake. Based on the answers to these questions further personalised feedback is provided on how to reduce alcohol intake. 

Service URL:

https://www.drinktest.nl/

Agency Responsible:

Trimbos-Institute, Netherlands.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Types:

Educational (primarily educational material or psychoeducation) and Psychological – CBT.

Course Length:

Short (less than 1 module or equivalent). Single 10-minute session (brief screening tool and personalised feedback)

Support Option:

Automated only.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Alcohol.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

Dutch.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required.

Contact Details:

via an online contact form: http://drinktest.nl/index.cfm?act=contact.formulier

Research evidence

Research Trials:

2

Research RCTs:

1

Outcome Summary:

The effectiveness of an earlier version of Drinktest.nl was evaluated in one trial (3), which indicated that the program was only effective at reducing alcohol intake among women, but not men. Subsequently, the program was revised and tailored to increase efficacy in males. A study of this revised program (1) found positive outcomes in support of drinktest.nl’s effectiveness. N=450 male participants with either heavy alcohol use and/or binge drinking were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or an ‘information only’ control group. After a period of 1 month significantly more participants in the intervention group had reduced their drinking levels to within the guideline norms than those in the control group. However, this difference between the groups was no longer evident after 6 months.

In a more recent study (2), Drinketest.nl was tested in a large sample (N=2,634) of adults who reported excessive use of alcohol. This study aimed to test the effect on efficacy of a number of potential additions to the program. One of these potential additions was prototype alteration, designed to encourage users to work towards identifying as a moderate drinker, as opposed to a heavy drinker. The other was the use of a physical cue reminder, such as a bracelet, which reminds the user of their plans to reduce or quit drinking whenever they see it. To measure the effect of these additions the sample was split into four groups: Drinktest, Drinktest plus prototype alteration, Drinktest plus cue reminders and Drinktest plus prototype alteration and cue reminders. Significantly reduced drinking was reported amongst all groups after one month and at six month follow up, with a small effect size. Prototype alteration and cue reminders both resulted in significant improvements over Drinktest alone.

Therefore, there is some evidence that drinktest.nl may be an effective tool in reducing alcohol intake among those whose consumption is excessive.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

Evaluation evidence papers:

(1) Boon, B., Risselada, A., Huiberts, A., Riper, H., Smit, F. (2011)  Curbing Alcohol Use in Male Adults Through Computer Generated Personalized Advice: Randomized Controlled Trial.  Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13 (2): e43.

(2) van Lettow, B., de Vries, H., Burdorf, A., Boon, B., & Van Empelen, P. (2015). Drinker prototype alteration and cue reminders as strategies in a tailored web-based intervention reducing adults’ alcohol consumption: randomized controlled trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 17(2).

Additional references:

(3) Boon, B., Huiberts, A. (2006) Preventie problematisch alcoholgebruik.  In: Meijer, S.A., Smit, F. Schoemaker, C.G., Cuijpers, P. (eds) Gezond verstand.  Evidence based preventie van psychische stoornissen (Common sense.  Evidence-based prevention of mental disoders) Volksgezondheid Toekomstverkenning (VTV) Themarapport.  Bilthoven, Netherlands: RIVM/Trimbos Institute: pp.107-114.