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Alcohol - problem drinking - Management
Extended brief intervention
- Extended brief interventions are usually delivered by specialist workers. This may be offered in primary care by people who are trained in dealing with alcohol problems, or on a shared-care basis with secondary care. The approach typically involves a total of 3–4 hours of detailed assessment and counselling.
- Extended brief interventions are most appropriate for individuals with harmful drinking (alcohol-related problems) and people with moderate dependence on alcohol. People with severe dependence are usually offered more intensive treatment. Brief treatments, however, may be considered for those who do not comply with intensive regimens, those who need a stepped-care programme in which a less intensive treatment is provided as a first step, or as a preparation for more intensive treatment if motivation is an important issue.
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