Effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting: systematic review.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions for problem drinking in a general hospital setting.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Medline, PsychInfo, Cochrane Library, reference lists from identified studies and review articles, and contact with experts.

Main Outcome Measure: Change in alcohol consumption.

Results: Eight studies were retrieved. Most had methodological weaknesses. Only one study, with a relatively intensive intervention and a short follow up period, showed a significantly large reduction in alcohol consumption in the intervention group.

Conclusions: Evidence for the effectiveness of opportunistic brief interventions in a general hospital setting for problem drinkers is still inconclusive.