Brief Screening and Intervention for Alcohol and Drug Use in a College Student Health Clinic: Feasibility, Implementation, and Outcomes

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of the Brief Alcohol Screen and Intervention in College Students (BASICS) in a university primary care setting. Participants/Methods: Undergraduates (N = 449) participated in BASICS and electronic surveys assessing frequency/quantity of alcohol and drug use, psychosocial and mental health outcomes, and demographic information. Data were collected at baseline and 6-month follow-up between August 2006 and August 2008. Results: Drinking and drug use decreased between baseline and 6 months. Participants reported an increase in protective factors and in readiness to change alcohol-related behaviors, and a decrease in alcohol-related consequences and in distress symptoms. Heavy episodic drinking at baseline significantly moderated the changes in number of drinks in a typical week and in a typical weekend, and number of drinks on the occasion drank most on a weekend. Conclusions: BASICS can be implemented in a primary health care setting and university students may reduce their alcohol and/or drug use.

Keywords:

• alcohol and drug use
• college students
• brief screening and intervention
• prevention
• primary care

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant TI 17311.

Notes

^a Middler refers to students’ third year of study; students at this university engage in 5 years of study.

^a Italicized figures represent those significant at p < .05.