EFFECTIVENESS OF BRIEF INTERVENTION IN REDUCING THE RISK OF RELAPSE IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL INDUCED LIVER DISEASE – A NATURALISTIC FOLLOW UP COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) comprises of simple steatosis to frank cirrhosis. Early identication and treatment of alcohol problems with the use of screening and brief interventions (BI) has been advocated as the way forward and is seen as the focus of a great deal of research. The objective of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of brief intervention (BI) on the risk of relapse in patients with Alcohol induced Liver Disease (ALD) compared with simple advice (SA). METHODOLOGY:A12-week interventional naturalistic follow-up study in a tertiary care centre with baseline assessments using standardized study instruments including Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index, ASSIST, Readiness to change questionnaire, and Big Five Factor Personality Test. Intervention given at baseline, one and three weeks. Relapse rate along with the time to relapse, quantity and frequency of drinking at the end of three months were recorded as primary outcome measures. RESULTS: 120 participants were recruited in the study and were alternatively included into the two groups using purposive sampling. There was a signicant decrease in the post RAPI and ASSIST score in BI group from baseline compared with the SAgroup. The time taken to relapse in BI group was found to be longer. CONCLUSION: Patients who relapsed at the end of the three months study period were less in BI than SAgroup. Time taken to relapse proved the effectiveness of BI.