Pilot Study of a Computer-Based Intervention for Alcohol Misuse in the Emergency Department

This intervention includes standard medical care followed by receipt of computer-based Personalized Assessment Feedback (PAF). PAF is a type of brief intervention that targets norm misperceptions, for example summarizing a person's drinking in comparison to the average male or female in the general population. Theoretically, such normative feedback corrects norm misperceptions and motivates drinkers to re-evaluate their consumption patterns.

This intervention includes standard medical care followed by receipt of a computer-based sham. The sham is similar in format and duration as the computer-based Personalized Assessment Feedback but will engage youth in nutrition and exercise-related questions.