Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38711152›Full record

Trial reportAddiction science & clinical practice2024

Support after return to alcohol use: a mixed-methods study on how abstinence motivation and app use change after return to alcohol use in an app-based aftercare intervention for individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Catharina Lang, Kiona K Weisel, Sebastian Saur, Lukas M Fuhrmann, Antonie Schoenleber, Daniela Reichl, Niklas Enewoldsen, Sabine Steins-Loeber, Matthias Berking

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Addiction science & clinical practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Catharina LangDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany. catharina.lang@fau.de.ORCID 0000-0001-7424-4217
Kiona K WeiselDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany.
Sebastian SaurDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany.
Lukas M FuhrmannDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany.
Antonie SchoenleberDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany.
Daniela ReichlDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, 96047, Bamberg, Germany.
Niklas EnewoldsenDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, 96047, Bamberg, Germany.
Sabine Steins-LoeberDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, 96047, Bamberg, Germany.
Matthias BerkingDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nägelsbachstraße 25a, 91052, Erlangen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs the return to alcohol use in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common during treatment and recovery, it is important that abstinence motivation is maintained after such critical incidences. Our study aims to explore how individuals with AUD participating in an app-based intervention with telephone coaching after inpatient treatment perceived their abstinence motivation after the return to alcohol use, whether their app use behavior was affected and to identify helpful factors to maintain abstinence motivation.

methodsUsing a mixed-methods approach, ten participants from the intervention group of the randomized controlled trial SmartAssistEntz who returned to alcohol use and recorded this in the app Appstinence, a smartphone application with telephone coaching designed for individuals with AUD, were interviewed about their experiences. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded using qualitative content analysis. App use behavior was additionally examined by using log data.

resultsOf the ten interviewees, seven reported their abstinence motivation increased after the return to alcohol use. Reasons included the reminder of negative consequences of drinking, the desire to regain control of their situation as well as the perceived support provided by the app. App data showed that app use remained stable after the return to alcohol use with an average of 58.70 days of active app use (SD = 25.96, Mdn = 58.50, range = 24-96, IQR = 44.25) after the return to alcohol use which was also indicated by the participants' reported use behavior.

conclusionsThe findings of the study tentatively suggest that the app can provide support to individuals after the return to alcohol use to maintain and increase motivation after the incidence. Future research should (1) focus on specifically enhancing identification of high risk situations and reach during such critical incidences, (2) actively integrate the experience of the return to alcohol use into app-based interventions to better support individuals in achieving their personal AUD behavior change goals, and (3) investigate what type of support individuals might need who drop out of the study and intervention and discontinue app use altogether.

trial registrationThe primary evaluation study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS, registration number DRKS00017700) and received approval of the ethical committee of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (193_19 B).

Indexed as

AftercareAlcohol AbstinenceAlcoholismMobile ApplicationsMotivationAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSmartphoneAbstinence motivationAlcohol Use DisorderAppInterventionMixed methodsQualitative interviewsRelapse preventionTelephone coaching

Identifiers

PMID38711152
PMCPMC11071226

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.