Table 2 Characteristics of included studies

Screening, brief intervention, and/or referral to treatment

Beich, 2003 [30]

DMA

Excessive alcohol use

Screening, brief intervention

General practice settings

Government

No

Ballesteros, 2004 [31]

DMA

Hazardous drinkers

Brief interventions as applied in primary care settings

primary care

NR

NR

Bendtsen, 2021 [32]

DMA

Risky drinker (harmful and hazardous); any population

Text messaging

Any

NR

NR

Bertholet, 2005 [33]

DMA

Risky drinker; individuals attending primary care facilities but not seeking help for alcohol-related problems

Brief intervention

Primary care facilities

University

NR

Carney, 2016 [34]

DMA

Used alcohol or other drugs, did not meet criteria for dependence but had faced negative behavioural consequences due to substance use; adolescents under the age of 19 attending high school, secondary school, or further education training college

Brief school-based intervention

High schools or further education training colleges

Research council, not-for-profit foundation

No

Dedert, 2014 [35]

DMA

Alcohol misuse or AUD; adults aged 18 years or over (excluding pregnant women)

e-interventions

Outpatients in any setting or patients enrolled through self-assessment

Government

No

Doherty, 2017 [36]

DMA

Hazardous or harmful alcohol use; adult military and veteran

Brief intervention

Web delivered out-patient setting

NR

No

Donoghue, 2014 [37]

DMA

Consuming alcohol to a hazardous level; non-treatment seeking

Electronic screening and brief intervention [eSBI]

Health care settings, including primary care and the emergency department

Government

No

Elzerbi, 2015 [38]

DMA

Non-treatment-seeking and hazardous or harmful drinking (average consumption 20–40 g and > 40 g of alcohol per day for women and 40–60 g and > 60 g per day for men); aged 18–64 years

Brief intervention

Primary health care or emergency department

NR

No

Elzerbi, 2017 [39]

DMA

Hazardous or harmful drinking

Brief intervention

Emergency department settings

None

No

Fachini, 2012 [40]

DMA

College students engaged in heavy episodic drinking

Brief intervention [BASICS programme]

Public universities

NR

No

Foxcroft, 2015 [41]

DMA

NR; university and college students

Social norms interventions

Colleges or universities

University, government

Yes

Gilligan, 2019 [42]

DMA

NR; school-aged children (< = 18 years)

Family-based prevention programmes

Communities and schools

None

Yes

Hennessy, 2019 [43]

NMA

NR; college students (≤ 30 years)

Various type of brief interventions

Colleges or universities

Government

Yes

Jonas, 2012 [44]

DMA

Adults with risky drinking; adolescents with alcohol misuse identified by screening in primary care settings

Screening followed by behavioural counselling, with or without referral

Primary care settings

Government

NR (Disclosure forms not available)

Kaner, 2017 [45]

DMA

People living in the community whose alcohol consumption had been screened as hazardous or harmful

Digital brief intervention

Community

University

Yes

Kaner, 2018 [46]

DMA

People with hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption as identified by a screening tool

Brief intervention

Emergency care or other primary care settings

University

No

Kohler, 2015 [47]

DMA

Existing alcohol use problems

Motivational interviewing (MI), delivered in a brief intervention during an emergency care contact

Emergency departments

NR

No

MacArthur, 2018 [48]

DMA

Multiple risk behaviours; aged up to 18 years and/or their parents, guardians, carers, peers, and/or school members

Targeted multiple risk behaviour interventions (brief interventions)

School-based interventions, (home, kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, clinic, community)

Government

Yes

McQueen, 2011 [49]

DMA

Heavy alcohol users

Brief interventions for heavy alcohol users

General hospital setting

Government, research network

No

Mujcic, 2020 [50]

DMA

Drank alcohol in the past week; cancer survivors

Distance-based alcohol moderation

Distance-based

Not-for-profit society

Yes

O’Connor, 2018 [51]

DMA

Non dependence alcohol user; aged 12 years or older

Screening and behavioural counselling

Primary care

NR

No

Prestwich, 2016 [52]

DMA

All drinking behaviour

Brief intervention (face to face and computer delivered)

Educational settings, medical and community settings

Government

No

Saxton, 2021 [53]

DMA

Hazardous alcohol use; 16 years and older

Personalised normative feedback interventions

Delivered to individuals, not in-person

Government

Yes

Riper, 2009 [54]

DMA

Problem drinkers

Brief, single-session personalized-feedback interventions without therapeutic guidance

NR

NR

Yes

Smedslund, 2017 [55]

DMA

High or risky consumers of alcohol; young people between 15 and 25

Brief intervention

NR

University

No

Steele, 2020 [56]

DMA, NMA

Alcohol use disorder or problematic alcohol use; adolescents (12 to 20 years)

Brief behavioural interventions

Primary care

Government

No

Sullivan, 2011 [57]

DMA

Unhealthy alcohol drinkers

Brief counselling interventions (provided by non-physicians)

Primary care setting

Research Institute

No

Wilk, 1997 [58]

DMA

Alcohol abuse, dependence or heavy drinking; aged 19 to 65 years and older

Brief intervention

Primary care and hospital

NR

No

Yuvaraj, 2019 [59]

DMA

Current alcohol drinkers; adults aged more than 18 years, in employment

Screening and brief intervention

Workplace intervention

NR

No

Psychosocial interventions

Foxcroft, 2016 [60]

DMA

Identified as higher risk; young people aged up to 25 years old

Motivational interviewing

NR

University

Yes

Ghosh, 2021 [61]

DMA

Non-dependent, hazardous alcohol use

Brief intervention/ Motivational interview

LMIC

NR

No

Henssler, 2021 [62]

DMA

Alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse/harmful use; adult

Non-abstinent treatment strategies

Community-based, out-patient, in-patient

Government

No

Hunter, 2019 [63]

DMA

Alcohol dependent; all age groups

Social network interventions

Community-based

Government

No

Klimas, 2018 [64]

DMA

Problem alcohol use; people who use illicit drugs aged over 18 years, attending a range of services (community, inpatient or residential, including opioid agonist treatment)

Psychosocial interventions

NR

Government

No

Lundahl, 2013 [65]

DMA

NR; patients consulting for general medical conditions

Motivational interviewing

Medical care setting such as hospital, physician clinic, emergency department, medically-guided weight loss or diabetes centre, dentist office, or physical therapy office

NR

No

Malaguti, 2020 [66]

DMA

General population (no restrictions)

Forming implementation intentions

NR

None

NR

Mellentin, 2017 [67]

DMA

Adult participants (≥ 18) diagnosed with sub-clinical or clinical AUD

Cue Exposure Therapy; OR Cue Exposure Therapy and Coping Skills Training

NR

Foundation and university

No

Sayegh, 2017 [68]

DMA

NR

Contingency management and motivational interviewing

NR

NR

No

Thomas, 2013 [69]

DMA

Alcohol or drug use; children or adolescent

Mentoring interventions

NR

Government

No

Pharmacological interventions

Agabio, 2018 [70]

DMA

Alcohol dependence; patients with depression

Antidepressants

Outpatient or inpatient setting

University

No

Bschor, 2018 [71]

DMA

Alcohol dependence, abuse or use disorder

Baclofen

NR

None

No

Carmen, 2004 [72]

DMA

Alcohol dependence

Naltrexone and acamprosate

Ambulatory setting and support groups

NR

No

Cheng, 2020b [73]

DMA

Alcohol dependence or AUD; NR

Gabapentin

NR

NR

Yes

Donoghue, 2017 [74]

DMA

Alcohol dependence, harmful alcohol use, or alcohol abuse; adults (aged ≥ 18 years)

Acamprosate and naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence

In-patient/out-patient

University, government

No

Ipser, 2015 [75]

DMA

Alcohol use disorder

Pharmacological interventions to treat addiction

Outpatient or inpatient setting

Government

No

Li, 2020 [76]

DMA, NMA

AUD; adults with co-morbid depression or depressive symptoms

Pharmacological treatments

NR

Government

No

Jonas, 2014 [77]

DMA

Adults with AUDs

Medications for treating AUD

Outpatient setting

Government

No

Jorgensen, 2011 [78]

DMA

Diagnosis with AUD

Disulfiram

Inpatient and outpatient

NR

No

Kishi, 2013 [79]

DMA

Alcohol dependence

Antipsychotics

NR

No

No

Kranzler, 2019 [80]

DMA

Adults with alcohol dependence or AUD (aged >  = 18 years)

Gabapentin

NR

Research and clinical network

Yes

Leone, 2010 [81]

DMA

Alcohol dependent patients receiving therapy to prevent or to treat alcohol withdrawal symptom (AWS)

GHB

Outpatient or inpatient settings

Research centre

No

Lesouef, 2014 [82]

DMA

Alcohol-dependent patients

Baclofen

NR

NR

No

Mann, 2004 [83]

DMA

Alcohol dependence

Acamprosate

NR

NR

No

Mason, 2012 [84]

DMA

Alcohol dependence

Acamprosate treatment of alcohol dependence

NR

NR

Yes

Minozzi, 2018 [85]

DMA

Alcohol use disorder according to DSM-III; adults (aged ≥ 18 years)

Baclofen

Outpatient setting

Government

Yes

Murphy, 2021 [86]

DMA

Alcohol use disorder; NR

Extended-release naltrexone (XR-naltrexone)

Alcohol clinic

None

Yes

Oon-Arom, 2019 [87]

DMA

Patients people with problematic alcohol use

Pharmacological interventions to treat addiction

In-or out-patient setting in any country

University

Yes

Palpacuer, 2015 [88]

DMA

Non-abstinent alcohol dependence; 18 years and over

Nalmefene

NR

University

Yes

Palpacuer, 2018 [89]

DMA, NMA

Alcohol dependence or AUD; non-abstinent patients

Pharmacological interventions to treat addiction

NR

Hospital

No

Pani, 2014 [90]

DMA

Alcohol dependence diagnosed

Anticonvulsants

Not specified

NR

No

Rose, 2018 [91]

DMA

Alcohol use disorders with heavy drinking, craving

Baclofen

NR

NR

No

Rösner, 2010a [92]

DMA

Alcohol dependence; adults aged 18 years and over

Acamprosate

NR

Government

NR

Rösner, 2010b [93]

DMA

Alcohol dependence

Opioid antagonists

NR

Government

NR

Skinner, 2014 [94]

DMA

Diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence; adolescent and adult

Disulfiram

NR

None

Yes

Snyder, 2008 [95]

DMA

Adults with alcohol dependence

Acamprosate and naltrexone

Ambulatory setting

NR

NR

Stokes, 2020 [96]

DMA

Substance abuse, dependence, or use disorder; diagnosis of bipolar or major depressive disorder, 18 years and older

Pharmacological treatments

NR

None

No

Streeton, 2001 [97]

DMA

Patients with alcohol dependence or abuse (aged >  = 18 years)

Naltrexone

Inpatient and outpatient settings

NR

NR

Vanderkam, 2020 [98]

DMA

AUD; adult

Alpha-blocker

NR

No

No

Miscellaneous interventions

Apodaca, 2003 [99]

DMA

Problem drinker

Bibliotherapy

Health professional

Government

NR

Thompson, 2020 [100]

DMA

AUD

Physical activity

NR

Government

Yes

Turnbull, 2012 [101]

DMA

Pregnant women with alcohol problems

Home visit during pregnancy

Home-based

NR

No

Multiple interventions

Carey, 2012 [102]

DMA

All drinking behaviour; college or university students

Computer-delivered interventions and face-to-face interventions

College and university settings

Government

No

Cheng, 2020a [103]

DMA, NMA

Alcohol dependence or AUD; NR

Interventions in recently detoxified, alcohol dependent patients

Primary care setting

Government

No

Davis, 2017 [104]

DMA

NR; emerging adults aged 18–25 years (excludes college students)

Potential moderators of prevention and treatment among emerging adults

Not-for-profit, hospital, emergency department

NR

NR

Dinh-Zarr, 2004 [105]

DMA

Diagnosed with alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, or hazardous use of alcohol, all of which are’problem drinking’

Interventions for problem drinking

The clinical setting

NR

NR

Egholm, 2018 [106]

DMA

Risky drinking; undergoing all types of surgical procedures under general anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia, or sedation, aged 18 years and over

Perioperative alcohol cessation interventions

Surgical departments (elective and acute) in Copenhagen, Denmark

NR

Yes

Gao, 2018 [107]

DMA, NMA

AUD; NR

Alcohol interventions

NR

NR

No

Hai, 2019 [108]

DMA

Any level of drinking behaviour; women of childbearing age (18 to 45 years old)

Technology-based interventions (TBIs)- Website, text messages, and tablet

Internet, prenatal clinic, hospitals

NR

No

Jarosz, 2013 [109]

DMA

Alcohol-dependent patients

Naltrexone as an adjunct therapy to psychotherapy

NR

Private (pharmaceutical company)

No

Riper, 2011 [110]

DMA

People with alcohol use disorder (exclude students)

Internet-based alcohol interventions (iAIs)

Workplace, community, hospital settings

World Health Organization (WHO)

No

Riper, 2014 [111]

DMA

Exceeded local guidelines for low-risk drinking; adults aged 18 or older

A low-intensity self-help intervention that the participant could perform on a computer or mobile phone, with or without guidance from a professional

Computer or mobile phone

NR

No

Riper, 2018 [112]

SR, DMA

Regular drinker and problem drinkers (exclude students and pregnant women)

Internet-based interventions

Workplace, community, hospital settings (with internet)

None

Yes

Rooke, 2010 [113]

DMA

All drinking behaviour

Computer-delivered brief interventions

Home and research setting

NR

No

Ujhelyi-Gomez, 2021 [114]

DMA

Alcohol use (casual or dependent); pregnant women and women children ≤ 18 years

‘Mocktails’–recipe booklet of non-alcoholic beverages; single session MI; computer-delivered screening and BI; Cognitive behavioural self-help intervention

NR

Government

No

Van Ginneken, 2021 [115]

DMA

Disorders associated with substance abuse; children (aged < 18 years) and adults with mental disorders or distress seeking first-level care/primary care or detected in the community in LMICs

Mental health treatments delivered by trained PWs [Primary-level workers]

LMICs; intervention delivered by primary-level workers (PWs), including primary healthcare professionals (PHPs), lay health workers (people living at the community level with no prior health professional training); and community professionals (e.g. social workers, teachers, development workers)

Government

No