Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Volume 6 | Issue -14
Background: Over the past decade, there has been a substantial advancement and evolution in India in terms of establishing evidence-based psychosocial interventions for alcohol use and dependence. This narrative review is aimed to comprehensively examine psychosocial interventions designed to reduce risky/harmful drinking and symptoms associated with alcohol use in India and to consolidate the research evidence supporting their efficacy. Methods: A review of the available literature (post the year 2016) was carried out utilising numerous digital databases (Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline Plus and EMBASE). A total of seven research papers were selected for review. Conclusion: The review highlighted that psychosocial therapies have been proven to be effective in general. Some therapies, including brief intervention, motivational interviewing, cognitive behaviour therapy and recurrence mitigation, appear to be successful across a wide range of Indian population consuming alcohol at harmful levels. Brief interventions as a psychosocial therapy may be utilised as the initial phase of therapy for alcohol users and also their affordability and cost-effectiveness align with the national goal of strengthening harm reduction treatment approach for substance use disorders. Future Directions: The body of research supporting for psychosocial treatment should be boosted to include investigations on optimum pairings of psychosocial therapies as well as any specific matching effects, if available. Psychosocial therapies are indispensable component of treatment and attempts should be made to integrate evidence-based therapies into all addiction treatment programmes and across all age groups especially adolescents.