Predictors of positive drinking outcomes among youth receiving an alcohol brief intervention in the emergency department

Background: Reducing underage drinking is a public health priority given increased risk for injury and other consequences. Emergency department (ED) visits offer a potential teachable moment to initiate interventions among youth engaged in risky drinking. Given mixed findings for alcohol brief interventions (BIs), this paper examined baseline markers of BI response in order to inform future interventions. Method: We conducted secondary analyses of data from a randomized controlled trial of an alcohol BI delivered to youth in an ED. Among 475 participants (M-age = 18.6, SD = 1.4; 48.7% Female, 78.6% White/Caucasian) receiving a computer or therapist BI, we examined baseline characteristics (i.e., demographic, substance use, mood, risk/protective factors, and readiness to change) that predicted positive intervention response (i.e., BI responder) at 3-month follow-up using AUDIT-C scores (cut offs: < 3 for ages 14-17; < 4 for ages 18-20). Results: Mediated logistic regression analysis (controlling for demographics) showed that greater readiness to change at baseline was positively related to BI response and baseline alcohol consumption was negatively related to BI response. Having a mentor was indirectly related to BI response via baseline alcohol consumption. Baseline readiness to change and alcohol consumption mediated the association between positive peer influences and BI response, whereas readiness to change mediated the relation between depression and BI response. Conclusion: Findings suggest that BI response is influenced by protective social factors, such as positive peers and mentors, and depression, via baseline alcohol severity indicators (i.e., readiness to change, consumption), thus providing clues for enhancing the content and dose of early interventions.