ArticleAlcohol, clinical & experimental research2023
The connection still matters: Therapeutic alliance with digital treatment for alcohol use disorder.
Article in Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Improvement in coping skills from culturally-adapted digital CBT for Spanish-speaking Hispanics with substance use disorder: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2025Trial
- Working Alliance and Subjective Engagement with a Digital Avatar CBT Platform (RITchBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundA strong cooperative bond between the patient and provider ("therapeutic alliance") is robustly associated with better alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment outcomes. Although digital treatments for AUD have significant potential, the function of the alliance during digital programs is unclear. We compared the validity of patient-reported measures of the alliance with a digital treatment ("digital alliance") for AUD and the alliance with their clinician ("clinician alliance").
methodsWe used data from an 8-week, randomized clinical trial of a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy program (CBT4CBT) during outpatient AUD treatment. Treatment conditions included CBT4CBT with minimal clinical monitoring (CBT4CBT + monitor) or with treatment as usual (CBT4CBT + TAU). The digital alliance and clinician alliance were measured with similar versions of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). The WAI ratings were completed at the 2nd and 6th treatment sessions. A timeline followback calendar assessed daily alcohol use. Bayesian multilevel models compared the strength of the alliances and tested their associations with future alcohol use.
resultsData from 43 participants were included (age M = 44; 65% male; 51% Black, 40% White, 9% other; 14% Hispanic). The digital alliance ratings had similar internal reliability as the clinician alliance ratings (ω's > 0.90). Differences between digital alliance and clinician alliance ratings were negligible in both treatment conditions (BF
conclusionsThe digital alliance with CBT4CBT was comparable to the clinician alliance. The digital alliance and clinician alliance had similar, albeit very small, associations with abstinence during treatment. Future research can explore how the digital alliance develops to improve AUD treatment efficacy.
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