O’Reilly H, Hagerty A, O’Donnell S, et al. (2019). Alcohol use disorder and comorbid depression: A randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of supportive text messages in aiding recovery. Alcohol and Alcoholism. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz060
Researchers recruited 95 adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid depression, who were completing inpatient substance use rehabilitation at a Dublin hospital, to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Researchers identified participants from medical records and randomized participants into an intervention group (n = 47) that received automated text messages about mental health and alcohol abstinence twice daily for 6 months following inpatient rehabilitation or to a control group (n = 48) that continued treatment as usual for the duration of the study. Participants completed assessments of depression severity and perceived stress at initiation of substance use rehabilitation (baseline) and 3- (mid intervention), 6- (post-intervention), and 12- (follow-up) months post-discharge. Participants reported number of days of alcohol use and units of alcohol consumed per drinking day at all time points using Timeline Followback. Both groups experienced a significant decrease in depression severity, perceived stress, days of alcohol consumption, and alcohol consumed per drinking day between baseline and post-intervention. Intervention participants demonstrated a substantial reduction in depression severity and perceived stress between baseline and mid-intervention compared to the control group. Relative to control, intervention participants also exhibited a significantly greater decrease in alcohol consumed per drinking day between baseline and post-intervention. In both groups, stress and depression symptoms re-emerged post-intervention. This trial suggests that supportive text messages may decrease alcohol use and improve symptoms of depression in patients with a dual diagnosis of AUD and depression following inpatient rehabilitation, though these benefits may not persist after cessation of text messages.