Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of randomised trials of web-basedinterventions for problematic substance use by adolescents and young adults.Data sources: An extensive search conducted in February 2009 of computer databases(MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Current Contents) and manual searches of key re...

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Main Authors: Tait, Robert, Christensen, H.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Australasian Medical Publishing Company Pty. Ltd. 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/19914
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author Tait, Robert
Christensen, H.
author_facet Tait, Robert
Christensen, H.
author_sort Tait, Robert
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Objective: To conduct a systematic review of randomised trials of web-basedinterventions for problematic substance use by adolescents and young adults.Data sources: An extensive search conducted in February 2009 of computer databases(MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Current Contents) and manual searches of key references.Study selection: Randomised comparisons of fully automated web-based interventionsspecifically targeting adolescents and young adults (ie, typically school or tertiarystudents, 25 years old) versus other interventions.Data synthesis: 16 relevant studies were identified, and data were extracted from 13of the 14 reporting on alcohol use by young adults. The alcohol interventions had a smalleffect overall (d = - 0.22) and for specific outcomes (level of alcohol consumption,d = - 0.12; binge or heavy drinking frequency, d = - 0.35; alcohol-related social problems,d = - 0.57). The interventions were not effective (d = - 0.001) in preventing subsequentdevelopment of alcohol-related problems among people who were non-drinkers atbaseline. Due to methodological differences, data from the two studies reporting ontobacco interventions among adolescents were not combined.Conclusions: Based on findings largely from tertiary students, web interventionstargeting alcohol-related problems have an effect about equivalent to brief in-personinterventions, but with the advantage that they can be delivered to a far largerproportion of the target population. Web-based interventions to prevent thedevelopment of alcohol-related problems in those who do not currently drink appear tohave minimal impact. There are currently insufficient data to assess the effectiveness ofMJA 2010; 192: S15–S21web-based interventions for tobacco use by adolescents.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-199142017-02-28T01:34:52Z Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review Tait, Robert Christensen, H. substance abuse world wide web adolescent intervention internet systematic review Objective: To conduct a systematic review of randomised trials of web-basedinterventions for problematic substance use by adolescents and young adults.Data sources: An extensive search conducted in February 2009 of computer databases(MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Current Contents) and manual searches of key references.Study selection: Randomised comparisons of fully automated web-based interventionsspecifically targeting adolescents and young adults (ie, typically school or tertiarystudents, 25 years old) versus other interventions.Data synthesis: 16 relevant studies were identified, and data were extracted from 13of the 14 reporting on alcohol use by young adults. The alcohol interventions had a smalleffect overall (d = - 0.22) and for specific outcomes (level of alcohol consumption,d = - 0.12; binge or heavy drinking frequency, d = - 0.35; alcohol-related social problems,d = - 0.57). The interventions were not effective (d = - 0.001) in preventing subsequentdevelopment of alcohol-related problems among people who were non-drinkers atbaseline. Due to methodological differences, data from the two studies reporting ontobacco interventions among adolescents were not combined.Conclusions: Based on findings largely from tertiary students, web interventionstargeting alcohol-related problems have an effect about equivalent to brief in-personinterventions, but with the advantage that they can be delivered to a far largerproportion of the target population. Web-based interventions to prevent thedevelopment of alcohol-related problems in those who do not currently drink appear tohave minimal impact. There are currently insufficient data to assess the effectiveness ofMJA 2010; 192: S15–S21web-based interventions for tobacco use by adolescents. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/19914 Australasian Medical Publishing Company Pty. Ltd. restricted
spellingShingle substance abuse
world wide web
adolescent
intervention
internet
systematic review
Tait, Robert
Christensen, H.
Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title_full Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title_fullStr Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title_short Internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: A systematic review
title_sort internet based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: a systematic review
topic substance abuse
world wide web
adolescent
intervention
internet
systematic review
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/19914