Feasibility of Telephone-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Hong Kong Chinese Young Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Pilot Study

Feasibility of Telephone-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Hong Kong Chinese Young Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Pilot Study

Objective: The proposed study aims to develop a protocol of telephone-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and examine the feasibility of implementing such intervention among the Hong Kong Chinese young adults with AUD.

Study design: A randomized controlled trial will be carried out. A convenience sample of 60 young adults with AUD will be recruited from the community. Subjects who are randomized into the experimental group which will receive a total of 6 weekly telephone-based ACT provided by an experienced health counsellor, or into the control group which will receive social support provided by a research assistant, that mimics the time and attention of the intervention. Feasibility measures will be collected at baseline (T0), 3- (T1) and 6- (T2) and 12-month (T3) follow-ups. Also, all subjects will be asked to complete a structured questionnaire to assess their alcohol use behaviours and psychological flexibility at the same time points.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcomes are feasibility measures by descriptive statistics. The secondary outcome is the preliminary effectiveness of telephone-based ACT in alcohol abstinence at 6 months

Data analysis: Multiple logistic regression will be used for analysis. Intention-to-treat analysis will be applied. Multiple imputations will be used to handle the missing data.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) aged 18 to 25 years,
• (2) able to read Chinese and speak Cantonese
• (3) drinking at hazardous levels as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; score of ≥8)

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) those receiving other behavioural therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
• (2) having a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder