Internet-based interventions for young people with problematic substance use: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of randomised trials of web-based interventions for problematic substance use by adolescents and young adults.

DATA SOURCES

An extensive search conducted in February 2009 of computer databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Current Contents) and manual searches of key references.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomised comparisons of fully automated web-based interventions specifically targeting adolescents and young adults (ie, typically school or tertiary students, < or = 25 years old) versus other interventions.

DATA SYNTHESIS

16 relevant studies were identified, and data were extracted from 13 of the 14 reporting on alcohol use by young adults. The alcohol interventions had a small effect overall (d = -0.22) and for specific outcomes (level of alcohol consumption, d = -0.12; binge or heavy drinking frequency, d = -0.35; alcohol-related social problems, d = -0.57). The interventions were not effective (d = -0.001) in preventing subsequent development of alcohol-related problems among people who were non-drinkers at baseline. Due to methodological differences, data from the two studies reporting on tobacco interventions among adolescents were not combined.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on findings largely from tertiary students, web interventions targeting alcohol-related problems have an effect about equivalent to brief in-person interventions, but with the advantage that they can be delivered to a far larger proportion of the target population. Web-based interventions to prevent the development of alcohol-related problems in those who do not currently drink appear to have minimal impact. There are currently insufficient data to assess the effectiveness of web-based interventions for tobacco use by adolescents.