Text Messaging for Addiction: A Review

Abstract

Individuals seeking treatment for addiction often experience barriers due to cost, lack of local treatment resources, or either school or work schedule conflicts. Text-messaging-based addiction treatment is inexpensive and has the potential to be widely accessible in real time. We conducted a comprehensive literature review identifying 11 published, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating text-messaging-based interventions for tobacco smoking, four studies for reducing alcohol consumption, one pilot study in former methamphetamine (MA) users, and one study based on qualitative interviews with cannabis users. Abstinence outcome results in RCTs of smokers willing to make a quit attempt have been positive overall in the short term and as far out as at six and 12 months. Studies aimed at reducing alcohol consumption have been promising. More data are needed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of this approach for other substance use problems.

Keywords:

• addiction
• mobile health technology
• smartphone
• smoking
• text messaging

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant DA34163 to G.P.G. The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the NIH.