CLINICAL QUESTION

Is SBIRT (i.e., screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment) effective for reducing alcohol use in adolescents?

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER

It is unclear how effective SBIRT is for reducing alcohol use in adolescents. Elements of SBIRT, including a brief intervention alone with no screening or referral to treatment, may reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences in adolescents. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: A, systematic review of randomized controlled trials [RCTs].) The use of elements of SBIRT (i.e., brief intervention only or screening plus brief intervention) may reduce alcohol consumption in adolescents with heavy alcohol use at baseline. (SOR: B, RCT.) The use of SBIRT does not reduce alcohol use over 6 to 24 months but may decrease the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder in adolescents over a 7-year follow-up. (SOR: B, RCTs.)

EVIDENCE SUMMARY

A 2022 systematic review examined the effects of brief interventions on substance use and internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression/anxiety) in adolescents.¹ Participants were between 13 and 21 years of age and had a brief psychosocial intervention, a comparison condition, and at least one treatment outcome evaluating mental health and one treatment outcome evaluating substance use. Six studies met inclusion criteria (n = 2,380 in treatment conditions; n = 1,422 in control groups).