Extract

Background and study aims Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are the leading cause of the global burden of mental disorders affecting men. Most patients with AUD seek their GP's help. The WHO recommends the use of Brief Interventions (BI) for harmful drinking (HD) and psychosocial treatment methods in combination with drugs for alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS). A major barrier to the implementation of these methods in developing countries is the lack of skilled human resources. The aim of this study is to find out the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Counselling for Alcohol Problems (CAP), a psychological treatment for HD and ADS. Who can participate? Men with HD and ADS can participate in the study. What does the study involve? Participants will be randomly allocated to receive enhanced usual care (EUC) or EUC plus CAP. The EUC will comprise of providing doctors with the WHO guidelines, contextualised for the study setting, and the screening result for ADS. The EUC also includes referral to psychiatric services for detoxification. Participants in the CAP group will receive, in addition to EUC, up to four sessions of the psychological treatment delivered by trained and supervised lay counsellors over a maximum period of two months. This has been systematically developed to incorporate strategies based on global and contextual evidence. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Participants will receive the counselling sessions from a trained counsellor along with doctor’s treatment at no extra cost. If our study finds that adding counselling makes treatment more effective, this will help us work with the government to make counselling available in clinics across Goa and India. We do not expect any risks from taking part, apart from the fact that patients may find discussing their health and personal problems to be distressing. In our experience, most people do not experience such feelings. Patients are however assured that our counsellors and researchers have been trained to handle such situations and if required, services of other health experts will be made available. Where is the study run from? The study will be conducted in eight primary health centres (PHCs) in the North district of Goa, India When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? October 2013 to September 2016 Who is funding the study? The Wellcome Trust (UK) Who is the main contact? Prof. Vikram Patel +91 (0)9822132038 [email protected]

Inclusion criteria

• 1. Harmful drinking
• 2. Alcohol dependence syndrome

Links

• ictrp
• isrctn