Text Messaging to Reduce High-risk Alcohol Use Among Older Adults

Inclusion criteria

• consumption of > 10 standard drinks á 12 gram ethanol per week (i.e., high-risk alcohol use defined by the Danish Health Authority) in the past four weeks
• desire to reduce drinking
• age 55 to 80 years
• mobile phone ownership and willingness to receive and respond to text messages
• fluency in Danish.

Exclusion criteria

• drinking more than 53 standard drinks per week in the last four weeks
• past 12 month alcohol withdrawal symptoms or lifetime history of serious withdrawal symptoms (e.g., seizures)
• score above 12 on the Short alcohol withdrawal scale; SAWS
• possible drug dependence (i.e., use of illegal drugs or psychotropic medication taken without prescription more than once a month)
• indication of serious psychiatric illness (lifetime diagnosis of psychosis or bipolar disorder, inpatient treatment or medication for these, recent suicidality)
• current alcohol/drug abuse treatment or a desire to start alcohol/drug abuse treatment during the study
• medical condition that requires abstinence from alcohol
• wish to achieve abstinence (applied to secure a focus on reduction)
• lack of understanding of study protocol or reading difficulty as evidenced by a score of less than 7 out of 10 on the consent form quiz.