Internet-delivered therapy for alcohol misuse: engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes when patients select their preference for therapist- or self-guided treatment

Alcohol misuse is common and causes substantial harm. Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) is effective in reducing alcohol misuse; however, the literature investigating how treatment outcomes are impacted by patients’ preferences for therapist- versus self-guided ICBT for alcohol misuse is sparse. In this preference trial, 74 eligible patients (who reported ≥ 14 drinks in the previous week and obtained scores suggesting hazardous or harmful drinking) chose between enrolling in either therapist- or self-guided ICBT for alcohol misuse. We investigated whether those who chose therapist- versus self-guided ICBT differed in their (a) drinking outcomes—as measured by Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) and heavy drinking days (HDD) at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up—and (b) post-treatment ICBT engagement and satisfaction. The majority (81.1 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04611854 ).