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Brief Intervention for Unhealthy Alcohol Use

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Addressing Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care

Abstract

Brief intervention-brief advice and counseling that includes non-judgmental feedback about use-has efficacy for decreasing alcohol use among those with non-dependent unhealthy use. For those with non-dependent unhealthy alcohol use, the goal can be decreased use or abstinence. For those with dependence or an absolute contraindication to use, the best goal is abstinence. The goal of brief intervention can also be to continue care in the long term and link patients to specialty care if needed. When those with dependence are advised to cut down or abstain, attention must be given to the risk for withdrawal and its management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard Saitz

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard Saitz

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  1. Richard Saitz
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Correspondence to Richard Saitz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor 801, Boston, 02118-2335, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard Saitz

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Saitz, R. (2013). Brief Intervention for Unhealthy Alcohol Use. In: Saitz, R. (eds) Addressing Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4779-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4779-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4778-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4779-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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