Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Introduction/Background: It is crucial to develop and implement innovative behavior-change therapies that specifically target young adults with alcohol use disorder, as the prevalence of this issue is on the rise, and it has serious long-term health consequences.
Research Questions/Hypothesis: How does the newly developed Contingency Management and Problem-Solving Therapy (CM-PST) intervention impact the levels of alcohol misuse or abstinence in young adults at follow-up compared to baseline.Young adults who receive the newly developed CM-PST will have lower levels of alcohol misuse or abstain from alcohol.
Goals/Aims: We aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an integrated behavior therapy of CM-PST for young adults with alcohol use disorder.
Methods/Approach: This mixed methods study employed a single-arm design with post-intervention and 12-week follow-up assessments. Young adults aged 18-24 were recruited from July 2023 to May 2024. Participants underwent the newly developed integrated CM-PST intervention for 8 weeks. The assessment of feasibility was conducted by evaluating the rates of recruitment and retention, and adherence to the intervention. Acceptability was assessed by analyzing participants’ feedback and engagement data. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the 90-day Timeline Follow back (TLFB) at baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention. Furthermore, they participated in a twice daily breathalyzer test, post-intervention interview and completed a client satisfaction scale questionnaire.
Results: A total of 28 participants were recruited, with 71.43% (20/28) completing all the study procedures. Adherence to the CM-PST was 100%, indicating strong engagement. Participant feedback highlighted the influence of CM on behavior and decision-making and the efficacy of PST in addressing life challenges as well. Alcohol consumption at 12 weeks was significantly lower than those at baseline (t=3.042, p=.007). Overall, the newly developed intervention was well-received, and 95% of participants indicated that the interventions were acceptable.
Conclusions: This study showed that the integrated CM-PST intervention to promote alcohol abstinence and reduce alcohol related problems is both feasible and acceptable. Study findings indicated that the intervention has potential as a supplementary care for individuals seeking support in reducing alcohol consumption.