Randomized Controlled Trial of BASICS for Heavy Drinking Mandated and Volunteer Undergraduates: 12-Month Outcomes

This is the first randomized trial testing whether heavy drinking undergraduates mandated to the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) program following a campus alcohol violation would benefit as much as heavy drinking volunteers up to one year post-intervention using high-risk control groups to model disciplinary-related and naturalistic changes in drinking. Participants (61% male; 51% mandated; 84% Caucasian; Mage = 20.14 years) were screened for heavy drinking and randomized to BASICS (n = 115) or control (n = 110). Outcome measures collected at baseline, 4 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention included the Daily Drinking Questionnaire and Rutgers Alcohol Problem Inventory. At 4 weeks post-intervention, intent-to-treat multilevel longitudinal models showed that regardless of referral group (mandated or volunteer) BASICS significantly decreased weekly drinking, typical drinks, and peak drinks relative to controls (ds = .41-.92). Decreases in alcohol problems were of large effect size (d = .87). At 12 months post-intervention, BASICS participants (regardless of referral group) reported significantly fewer alcohol problems (d = .56) compared to controls. Significant intervention gains for peak drinks and typical drinks were sustained in both referral groups relative to controls (ds = .42; .11). Referral group had no significant main effect and did not interact with intervention condition to predict outcomes. BASICS was associated with less drinking and fewer alcohol problems, even among heavier drinking mandated students up to one year post-intervention. Provision of BASICS-style programs within disciplinary settings may help reduce heavy drinking and alcohol problems among at-risk students.

This study was conducted as Meredith A. Terlecki’s doctoral dissertation. The authors thank Eric Norman, Rosemary Blue, and Kara Helcamp for their assistance with study recruitment.