Testing the Efficacy of a Brief Alcohol Intervention Among College Students

Students will be recruited by campus flyers, social media, and a registrar list to participate in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a prevention program aimed at reducing alcohol use among college students. Participants will also be recruited from a list of students who completed the Panthers4Life community needs assessment. Interested students will first complete a screener to determine eligibility (i.e., enrolled GSU student, 18-25 years of age, identifies as Black, White and LGBTQA+, Latine/a/o or Hispanic, and engaged in heavy episodic drinking at least once in the past month). Individuals who identify their sex at birth to be intersex or who identify themselves to be both heterosexual and gender diverse (Transgender, Genderqueer, Gender non-conforming, Non-binary, Androgynous, and Two-spirit) will be excluded due to the lack of normative data about these groups. Eligible participants will immediately be given the informed consent and asked to complete a baseline survey (15 minutes). In the baseline survey, participants will select identity group(s) they most identify with and select identity group(s) they would like to receive personalized normative feedback about. Participants will then be randomized to either complete a brief online intervention (treatment group) or view website information about substance use and mental health (control group).

If randomized to the intervention, participants will complete an intervention in Qualtrics Survey Platform that takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. They will view personalized content based on their alcohol use and chosen identity (e.g., if a participant chooses woman and LGBQA+ they will receive personalized normative feedback for women LGBQA+ students at GSU) and learn about various topics related to alcohol use, including ways to reduce their use. The intervention is a modified version of an existing evidence-based program, the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS).

Participants assigned the control condition will be directed to a website where information regarding mental health and substance use may be found.

In both groups, the investigators will assess baseline mental health, alcohol use, and related constructs. Both groups will also be asked to complete a 3-month follow-up survey to assess the efficacy of the tool in symptom reduction. Cultural acceptability will also be assessed to determine if cultural adaptations are needed to enhance efficacy among groups represented in our sample. Participants will be compensated up to $30 in Amazon gift cards for their time ($15 for the baseline survey and $15 for the 3-month follow up).

Inclusion criteria

• 18-25 years old
• Current student at university of study
• Valid email address at university of study
• Identifies as Black, White and LGBTQA+, Latine/a/o or Hispanic,
• Endorse engaging in heavy episodic drinking at least once in the past month on the screening survey

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals who identify their sex at birth as intersex or who identify as both heterosexual and gender diverse (Transgender, Genderqueer, Gender non-conforming, Non-binary, Androgynous, and Two-spirit) will be excluded due to the lack of normative data about these groups.