What are adverse effects associated with behavioral counseling interventions for risky/harmful alcohol use?
As discussed above, higher attrition rates among intervention compared with control groups in some studies suggests that, for some individuals, alcohol misuse interventions may be embarrassing or even offensive. There are no data on adverse effects of treatment, including theoretical reduction in “benefits” from moderate use among patients who may be benefiting from non-risky use. Also, some drinkers with more severe abuse or dependence might be undertreated and harmed if guided towards moderation rather than abstinence. However, literature searches targeted to potential harms retrieved no articles, and no information to address these questions was reported in the screening reviews or the intervention studies included in our review.
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