Development and Feasibility Pilot Study of Indigenous Recovery Planning: A Community-Engaged Approach to Addressing Substance Use in a Native Community.

Although Native (American Indian and Alaska Native [AI/AN]) populations have high rates of abstinence from alcohol, health problems associated with substance use remain a pressing concern in many AI/AN communities. As part of a longstanding community-based participatory research (CBPR) project involving five years of relationship building and three preliminary studies, our team of academic and community co-researchers developed a culturally grounded intervention to facilitate recovery from substance use disorders among tribal members from a rural AI reservation. Our Indigenous Recovery Planning (IRP) intervention consists of six weekly sessions and aims to provide inroads to existing resources in the community, affirm and enhance Native identity, address culturally relevant risk factors, and build upon strengths. Results from a feasibility pilot study (N = 15) suggest that IRP is feasible to implement and acceptable to the community. Although there was insufficient statistical power to conduct hypothesis testing, there were changes between pretest and posttest scores in the expected directions. Future directions and limitations of this research are discussed.

Effect of enhanced informed consent on veteran hesitancy to disclose suicidal ideation and related risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: The concealment of suicidal ideation (SI) constitutes a significant barrier to reducing veteran deaths by suicide and is associated with fear of negative consequences (e.g., involuntary hospitalization). This study examined whether augmenting informed consent with psychoeducation aimed to help patients achieve a more realistic risk appraisal of consequences associated with disclosure of SI, decreased hesitancy to disclose SI, and related risk behaviors among U.S. veterans. METHOD: Participants (N = 133) were recruited from combat veteran social media groups and were randomly assigned to a video simulated treatment-as-usual informed consent (control) or to one of two psychoeducation-enhanced informed consent conditions (psychoed, psychoed + trust). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, participants in both psychoeducation and enhanced informed consent conditions reported lower hesitancy to disclose SI, firearm access, and problems with drugs/thoughts of harming others, as well as greater trust and respect for the simulated clinician. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that brief psychoeducation regarding common factors that affect hesitancy to disclose SI may be beneficial for increasing trust in providers during the informed consent process and decreasing concealment of SI and firearm access among veterans.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among American Indian and Alaska native college students: the roles of discrimination, historical trauma, and healthcare system distrust.

For American Indians and Alaska Native (AIAN) and other communities of color, experiences with discrimination and historical trauma may contribute to healthcare system distrust and negatively affect health care decisions, including vaccination. A saturated path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect associations of thoughts regarding historical losses (of culture, language, and traditional ways) and AIAN racial discrimination with historical loss associated distress, healthcare system distrust, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among AIAN college students (N = 391). Historical loss thoughts and experiences with racial discrimination were strongly associated with each other, and both were uniquely associated with greater historical loss associated distress. In turn, historical loss associated distress was associated with greater healthcare system distrust, which in turn was associated with greater likelihood of being COVID-19 vaccine hesitant. While further research is needed, the findings suggest that to address health disparities for AIAN people it is necessary to consider how to best overcome healthcare system distrust and factors that contribute to it, including historical trauma and contemporary experiences with discrimination.

Association of racism and substance use treatment with belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems.

OBJECTIVES: Belief in an American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) specific biological vulnerability (BV) to alcohol problems is associated with worse alcohol outcomes among AIANs. Despite a notable lack of evidence that biogenetic factors play a greater role in the development of alcohol problems among AIANs than other groups, many people still believe this myth. Consistent with theory and evidence that greater experiences with discrimination leads to the internalization of stereotypes and oppression, we hypothesized that greater perceived racial discrimination (racism) would be associated with greater BV belief, but that having a stronger ethnic identity would weaken this association. We also examined whether previous substance use treatment as well as participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) was associated with BV belief. METHOD: Participants were 198 reservation-dwelling AI adults with a substance use problem who completed a survey as part of a larger community-based participatory study. RESULTS: A multiple regression analysis revealed that greater systemic racism was associated with greater belief in a BV; this association was not moderated by ethnic identity. Greater interpersonal racism was also associated with greater BV belief-but only among those low in ethnic identity. A regression analysis revealed that previous treatment, AA, and NA participation were not associated with BV belief. CONCLUSIONS: Greater systemic and interpersonal racism were associated with belief in a BV, and greater ethnic identity buffered the association between interpersonal racism and BV belief. This suggests that both combatting racism and fostering positive ethnic identity may help to lessen BV belief. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations of historical trauma and racism with health care system distrust and mental health help-seeking propensity among American Indian and Alaska Native college students.

OBJECTIVE: In the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population there is a discrepancy between high rates of mental health needs and low utilization rates of mental health services. This study sought to explore whether historical trauma and racial discrimination are associated with health care system (HCS) distrust and negative attitudes toward seeking mental health services. METHOD: Participants were AIAN college students (n = 392) who completed a cross-sectional online survey. A sequential mediation analysis examined whether historical trauma (thoughts and associated symptoms) was associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services, and whether distrust of the HCS mediated this association. A second mediation analysis examined whether perceived racial discrimination was associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services, and whether distrust of the HCS mediated this association. RESULTS: Greater reported historical trauma (thoughts and associated symptoms) and racial discrimination were associated with greater distrust of the HCS, which in turn was associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Perceived racial discrimination was also directly associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services. CONCLUSION: Historical trauma and perceived racial discrimination appear to contribute to less favorable attitudes toward seeking mental health services through their association with distrust of the HCS. This suggests that attempts to address the underutilization of mental health services in the AIAN population should consider the potential roles of historical trauma, racial discrimination, and distrust. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems among reservation-dwelling participants with a substance use problem.

BACKGROUND: Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN)-specific biological vulnerability (BV) to alcohol problems is associated with worse alcohol outcomes among AIAN college students who drink, despite also being associated with greater attempts to reduce drinking. This study examined the association of belief in a BV with alcohol use among reservation-dwelling AI adults with a substance use problem. METHODS: Participants (n = 141) who drank alcohol in the past 90 days were selected from a larger AI sample who self-identified as having a substance use problem. Moderated-mediation analyses examined whether belief in a BV was positively associated with alcohol- and substance use-related consequences and whether self-efficacy and craving mediated the association of belief in a BV with alcohol use. RESULTS: Among participants who reported using alcohol but not hard drugs (e.g., methamphetamine, opioids), greater belief in a BV was associated with more drinking days, which in turn was associated with greater alcohol-related consequences. Among participants who used alcohol only, belief in a BV was also significantly associated with greater craving, and in turn with more drinking days. Among individuals who used both alcohol and hard drugs, greater belief in a BV was associated with fewer drinking days, but was not significantly associated with substance use-related consequences. No association was found between belief in a BV and self-efficacy to avoid alcohol or drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals who use only alcohol, belief in a BV may contribute to more drinking days and greater alcohol-related consequences through its association with greater craving. This study provides further evidence of the potential harm of internalizing the belief that being AIAN contributes to the risk for alcohol problems, a notion that lacks scientific evidence despite decades of research. The findings highlight the importance of combating societal myths regarding AIAN peoples and the internalization of these stereotypes.

Mediational Role of Drinking to Cope in the Associations of Depression and Suicidal Ideation with Solitary Drinking in Adults Seeking Alcohol Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Little research on solitary drinking has focused on clinical samples. Previous research in college students has found that depression, suicidal ideation, and drinking to cope with negative affect are associated with drinking in solitary, but not social, contexts. These associations have not been examined among individuals with alcohol use disorder, despite their high rates of depression and suicidal behavior. METHOD: To fill this gap in knowledge, the associations of depression and suicidal ideation with solitary and social drinking were examined among 96 individuals seeking alcohol treatment, the majority of whom had alcohol use disorder (97.9%). Multiple mediation models were conducted to examine the mediating effects of two drinking to cope variables (drinking excessively to cope and coping motives) on the associations of depression and suicidal ideation with drinks per month and heavy episodic drinking in social and solitary contexts. RESULTS: Significant indirect effects were found for depression and suicidal ideation with solitary drinking variables through greater drinking excessively to cope. No significant indirect effects were found for social drinking variables. However, a positive direct association was found between suicidal ideation and greater social drinks per month that was not mediated by drinking to cope. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that greater depression or suicidal ideation, through their effect on greater drinking to cope, are associated with greater solitary drinking in a treatment seeking sample. Drinking context should perhaps be considered in alcohol interventions, particularly when treating individuals suffering from depression or suicidal ideation.

Belief in the American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability myth and drinking to cope: Does stereotype threat play a role?

Objectives: The effects of stereotype threat and internalized alcohol stereotypes on negative affect and negative affect-related drinking have not been examined in American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), despite their frequently being subjected to alcohol stereotypes. The current study examined the association of belief in the myth of an AI/AN specific biological vulnerability (BV) with alcohol consequences through its effect on depression and drinking to cope with negative affect. Method: In this cross-sectional study, a moderated mediation model examined the association of belief in a BV with alcohol consequences via sequential mediators of depression and drinking to cope. It was hypothesized that the positive association of belief in a BV with depression would be stronger among individuals who engaged in more frequent heavy episodic drinking. Participants were 109 female (69.9%) and 47 male (30.1%) AI/AN college students (Mage = 27.1 years, range 18 to 61) who reported having at least 1 drink in the past month. Results: Belief in a BV was positively associated with depression symptoms among participants reporting average or high frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Greater depression symptoms predicted greater drinking to cope, which in turn predicted greater alcohol consequences. Conclusion: Belief in the BV myth may act as a type of stereotype threat, contributing to alcohol consequences by increasing negative affect and drinking to cope. These results suggest that for AI/ANs who drink, there are psychological and behavioral health ramifications of believing in the notion of a BV, and a need to debunk this myth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Health Disparities Research with American Indian Communities: The Importance of Trust and Transparency.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience notable health disparities associated with substance use, including disproportionate rates of accidents/injuries, diabetes, liver disease, suicide, and substance use disorders. Effective treatments for substance use are needed to improve health equity for AI/AN communities. However, an unfortunate history of unethical and stigmatizing research has engendered distrust and reluctance to participate in research among many Native communities. In recent years, researchers have made progress toward engaging in ethical health disparities research by using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework to work in close partnership with community members throughout the research process. In this methodological process paper, we discuss the collaborative development of a quantitative survey aimed at understanding risk and protective factors for substance use among a sample of tribal members residing on a rural AI reservation with numerous systems-level barriers to recovery and limited access to treatment. By using a CBPR approach and prioritizing trust and transparency with community partners and participants, we were able to successfully recruit our target sample and collect quality data from nearly 200 tribal members who self-identified as having a substance use problem. Strategies for enhancing buy-in and recruiting a community sample are discussed.

Endorsement of the "firewater myth" affects the use of protective behavioral strategies among American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Belief in an American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) specific biological vulnerability (BV) to alcohol problems (aka the "firewater myth") has been found to be associated with worse alcohol outcomes among AI/AN college students who drink, despite also being associated with greater attempts to reduce drinking. In the current study, we examined the associations of belief in a BV and belief that AI/AN people have more alcohol problems with the use of alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) among AI/AN college students. PBS examined, as measured by the Protective Behavioral Strategies Scale-20, included manner of drinking, limiting/stopping drinking, and serious harm reduction strategies. Participants were college students who identified being AI/AN (n = 137) and had drank in the past month, and were selected from a larger multi-site study on PBS. Mediation models revealed that greater belief in a BV and belief that AI/AN people have more alcohol problems were both negatively associated with manner of drinking, which in turn was associated with greater past month alcohol use and alcohol consequences. These beliefs were not significantly associated with other PBS. Consistent with prior research with other student populations, both manner of drinking and limiting/stopping drinking were associated with less alcohol use and all three domains of PBS were directly associated with fewer alcohol consequences. The results suggest that these beliefs regarding AI/AN people and alcohol negatively affect the use of strategies aimed at avoiding drinking behavior that can lead to rapid drinking and a higher blood alcohol content, contributing to alcohol consequences.

Factors linking suicidal ideation with drinking to cope and alcohol problems in emerging adult college drinkers.

There is a well-established association between suicidal behavior and alcohol misuse. However, few studies have applied relevant theory and research findings in the areas of both alcohol and suicidal behavior to aid in the understanding of why these may be linked. The current study examined whether three variables (problem-solving skills, avoidant coping, and negative urgency) suggested by theory and previous findings in both areas of study help to account for the previously found association of suicidal ideation with drinking to cope and alcohol problems. Participants were 381 college women (60.4%) and men (39.6%) between the ages of 18 and 25 who were current drinkers and had a history of (at a minimum) passive suicidal ideation. Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations among problem-solving skills, avoidant coping, drinking to cope (DTC), impulsivity in response to negative affect (i.e., negative urgency), severity of suicidal ideation, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol problems. Model results revealed that problem-solving skills deficits, avoidant coping, and negative urgency were each directly or indirectly associated with greater severity of suicidal ideation, DTC, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol problems. The results suggest that the positive association between suicidal ideation and DTC found in this and other studies may be accounted for by shared associations of these variables with problem-solving skills deficits, avoidant coping, and negative urgency. Increasing at-risk students' use of problem-solving skills may aid in reducing avoidance and negative urgency, which in turn may aid in reducing suicidal ideation, DTC, and alcohol misuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived stress, coping strategies, and emotional intelligence: A cross-sectional study of university students in helping disciplines.

BACKGROUND: Post-secondary students in training for helping profession disciplines, including nursing, may be at elevated risk for high stress levels. Stress among students has been linked with adverse physical and psychological health. In addition to the common stressors associated with post-secondary education, sources of stress for students in the helping professions include balancing academic and clinical demands. Previous research indicates perceived stress levels are correlated with emotional intelligence (EI) and with the coping strategies employed by students. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine (1) the relationship between EI and perceived stress, and (2) the potential mediating role of coping responses. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was employed. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a public university in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 203 undergraduate and graduate students majoring in psychology, nursing, and social work was recruited. METHOD: Participants were recruited on-campus and through campus online resources and completed an online survey or a paper-and-pencil version of the survey. Descriptive statistics and mediation analyses were used to test the study hypotheses. RESULTS: Higher EI was associated with lower perceived stress, and this association was partially mediated by both adaptive and maladaptive coping responses. Higher EI was associated with greater use of adaptive coping and lower use of maladaptive coping, and these, in turn, were negatively and positively (respectively) associated with perceived stress. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing emotional intelligence may help to reduce perceived stress for students in the helping disciplines.

Association of belief in the "firewater myth" with strategies to avoid alcohol consequences among American Indian and Alaska Native college students who drink.

Belief in an American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) specific biological vulnerability (BV) to alcohol problems (aka the "firewater myth") is associated with worse alcohol outcomes among AI/AN college students who drink, despite also being associated with greater attempts to reduce drinking. The current study examined how belief in a BV may have affected how 157 AI/AN college students who drink (a) attempted to moderate their alcohol use and avoid alcohol-related problems using abstinence-based and harm reduction strategies, and (b) attitudes toward these strategies as a means of addressing alcohol problems. Contrary to our hypotheses, belief in a BV was not found to be associated with use of harm reduction strategies or with how effective students believed these strategies to be. However, greater belief in a BV was associated with lower self-efficacy for the use of harm reduction strategies among more frequent heavy episodic drinkers. This is concerning, as the use of harm reduction strategies was associated with less frequent heavy episodic drinking in this sample. In contrast, belief in a BV was positively associated with the use of abstinence-based strategies and with how effective these strategies were perceived to be. However, for individuals with average or greater belief in a BV, abstinence-based strategies were associated with greater alcohol consequences. The results suggest that for AI/AN students who drink, belief in a BV may be influencing the strategies used to moderate alcohol use and avoid alcohol-related harm, as well as attitudes toward these strategies, in ways that do not appear helpful. (PsycINFO Database Record

Impulsivity as a mediator in the relationship between problem solving and suicidal ideation.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether three facets of impulsivity previously shown to be associated with suicidal ideation and attempts (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance) help to account for the established association between problem solving deficits and suicidal ideation. METHOD: Emerging adult college student drinkers with a history of at least passive suicidal ideation (N = 387) completed measures of problem solving, impulsivity, and suicidal ideation. A path analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of impulsivity variables in the association between problem solving (rational problem solving, positive and negative problem orientation, and avoidance style) and suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Direct and indirect associations through impulsivity, particularly negative urgency, were found between problem solving and severity of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at teaching problem solving skills, as well as self-efficacy and optimism for solving life problems, may help to reduce impulsivity and suicidal ideation.

Comparisons of Alcohol Consumption by Time-Line Follow Back vs. Smartphone-Based Daily Interviews.

This study compared alcohol consumption data collected through daily interviews on a smartphone with data collected via the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) during a 6-week pilot study of a smartphone-based alcohol intervention system. The focus of the study was to assess for discrepancies between the two measurement methodologies on commonly utilized alcohol outcome variables. Twenty-five participants between 22 and 45 years of age and were drinking heavily at study incipience completed a 6-week alcohol intervention delivered by a smartphone application that monitored drinking through a daily interview. Participants also completed a TLFB of their alcohol consumption during the intervention period. Difference scores were calculated by subtracting the average weekly outcome variables derived from the smartphone daily interview from the average weekly outcome variables derived from the TLFB which yielded six discrepancy scores for each of the 25 participants and resulted in 150 observations. Heirarchical linear modeling indicated that the TLFB and smartphone daily interview methods did not produce significant discrepancies over the 6-week interval when examining percent of heavy drinking days and percent of days abstinent. However, discrepancies on drinks per drinking day increased substantially over time, suggesting that it is susceptible to recall bias when assessed by the TLFB. Results also indicated that participants under-reported their drinking on the TLFB compared to the daily smartphone-based assessment. Results indicate that outside of assessing for extreme drinking (binge or no drinking), the TLFB should be used cautiously and that smartphone apps represent a promising method for accurately assessing alcohol consumption over time.

Smartphone-based, momentary intervention for alcohol cravings amongst individuals with an alcohol use disorder.

Smartphone-based alcohol interventions represent an innovative strategy for providing in-the-moment intervention to individuals with an alcohol use disorder. While early research into their overall effectiveness is promising, little is known about the efficacy of specific intervention tools in reducing drinking subsequent to a cued craving. This study examined the influence of smartphone-delivered in-the-moment coping strategies on drinking after experiencing a craving among participants utilizing the Location-Based Monitoring and Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorders (LBMI-A). The LBMI-A was utilized by 28 adults (18 to 45 years old) who met criteria for an alcohol use disorder and were interested in changing their drinking. Participants utilized the system for 6 weeks and responded to a daily interview of craving, type of LBMI-A coping strategy utilized in response, and whether or not they subsequently drank. Mixed model analyses of 744 total observations revealed that craving cue type, craving strength, and coping strategies were significantly related to drinking in response to a craving. Results suggested that coping strategies delivered by the LBMI-A (i.e., listening to an urge surfing audio file, viewing reasons for changing drinking) were superior to using a non-LBMI-A strategy. Simple contrast analyses indicated that cues related to being around alcohol and time of day were the most potent elicitors of subsequent drinking. Results suggest smartphone-delivered coping strategies for alcohol cravings are effective in reducing craving cued drinking and that craving cues related to drinking environments and drinking times of day represent fruitful areas of intervention focus. (PsycINFO Database Record

Association of the firewater myth with drinking behavior among American Indian and Alaska Native college students.

The firewater myth (FM) is the notion that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol and vulnerable to alcohol problems due to biological or genetic differences. Believing that one is vulnerable to problems with alcohol may have negative effects on expectancies and drinking behavior among AI/ANs who drink; however, the association of belief in the FM with alcohol outcomes has not previously been examined. In this study we examined the factor structure of a revised version of the Firewater Myth Scale (FMS; LaMarr, 2003) and the association of belief in the FM with alcohol use, consequences, attitudes, and expectancies with 159 AI/AN college students who drink. On average, participants "slightly agreed" with the FM and scores were normally distributed. There were significant small to moderate positive associations between believing that AI/ANs have a biological vulnerability to problems with alcohol (i.e., the FM) and drinks consumed per week, frequency of heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol consequences, as well as belief in a disease model of "alcoholism," attempts to control drinking, guilt over drinking small amounts of alcohol, both positive and negative alcohol expectancies, temptation to drink heavily, and lack of self-efficacy to drink moderately. Although this is only an initial examination of potential consequences of belief in the FM for AI/AN students who drink, the results suggest that this belief may be harmful and have negative effects on attempts to moderate drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record

Comparison of a smartphone app for alcohol use disorders with an Internet-based intervention plus bibliotherapy: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To date, no research has evaluated the efficacy of a stand-alone, smartphone-based intervention for individuals with an alcohol use disorder. The current pilot study evaluated the short-term outcomes of a smartphone-based intervention for alcohol use disorders compared with an Internet-based brief motivational intervention plus bibliotherapy. METHOD: Adults (18 to 45 years old) with an alcohol use disorder received either the Location-Based Monitoring and Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorders (LBMI-A; n = 28), a smartphone-based intervention, or the online Drinker's Check-up plus bibliotherapy (DCU + bib; n = 26). These groups were compared using the Timeline Followback interview for percent days abstinent (PDA), percent heavy drinking days (PHDD), and drinks per week (DPW) from baseline to 6 weeks after the introduction of the interventions. RESULTS: Multilevel models revealed that the LBMI-A resulted in a significant increase in PDA over the course of the study, whereas the DCU + bib did not. Effect sizes for change from baseline for PDA suggest that the DCU + bib resulted in moderate a decrease, whereas the LBMI-A resulted in a large increase in PDA. Both interventions resulted in significant decreases in PHDD and DPW. The LBMI-A produced larger reductions in the first 3 to 4 weeks after the intervention was introduced than the DCU + bib. On weeks with greater LBMI-A usage, participants reported less DPW and PHDD. CONCLUSIONS: Both interventions resulted in significant decreases in alcohol use over the 6-week trial, which is promising for stand-alone technology-based intervention systems aimed at individuals with an alcohol use disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record

Results of a pilot test of a self-administered smartphone-based treatment system for alcohol use disorders: usability and early outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This paper provides results from a pilot study focused on assessing early-stage effectiveness and usability of a smartphone-based intervention system that provides a stand-alone, self-administered intervention option, the Location-Based Monitoring and Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorders (LBMI-A). The LBMI-A provided numerous features for intervening with ongoing drinking, craving, connection with supportive others, managing life problems, high-risk location alerting, and activity scheduling. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants, ranging in age from 22 to 45, who met criteria for an alcohol use disorder used an LBMI-A-enabled smartphone for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Participants indicated the LBMI-A intervention modules were helpful in highlighting alcohol use patterns. Tools related to managing alcohol craving, monitoring consumption, and identifying triggers to drink were rated by participants as particularly helpful. Participants also demonstrated significant reductions in hazardous alcohol use while using the system (56% of days spent hazardously drinking at baseline vs. 25% while using the LBMI-A) and drinks per day diminished by 52%. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for system improvement as well as suggestions for designing ecological momentary assessment and intervention systems for substance use disorders are discussed.

Smartphone-Based, Self-Administered Intervention System for Alcohol Use Disorders: Theory and Empirical Evidence Basis.

Advances in mobile technology provide an opportunity to deliver in-the-moment interventions to individuals with alcohol use disorders, yet availability of effective "apps" that deliver evidence-based interventions is scarce. We developed an immediately available, portable, smartphone-based intervention system whose purpose is to provide stand-alone, self-administered assessment and intervention. In this paper, we describe how theory and empirical evidence, combined with smartphone functionality contributed to the construction of a user-friendly, engaging alcohol intervention. With translation in mind, we discuss how we selected appropriate intervention components including assessments, feedback and tools, that work together to produce the hypothesized outcomes.