Effect of an Internet-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-informed Skills Training for Adult Drinkers

January 6, 2026 updated by: Ho Long Kwan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Effect of an Internet-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-informed Skills Training for Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Improving Psychological Distress of Adult Drinkers: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

  1. To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an internet-based DBT-ST for reducing alcohol consumption and improving psychological distress/emotional regulation in adult drinkers
  2. To explore the participants' experiences and perceptions of the proposed intervention

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

86

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Hospital Authority

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Hong Kong Chinese aged ≥18
  • Score ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
  • Indicate psychological distress as measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21
  • Have an intention to stop drinking
  • Have an electronic device and are willing to receive interventions via the internet

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Experiencing psychotic disorders/cognitive impairment/communication problems
  • Participating in other alcohol abstinence/related psychosocial interventions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: DBT-ST group
Participants in the intervention group will receive the DBT-ST by means of a free video-communication app. Over the next 13 weeks from the baseline, the intervention group will receive a weekly 120-minute internet-based DBT-ST focusing on the four modules of DBT-ST.
Behavioral: Internet-based dialectical behaviour therapy-informed skills training
Adaptive applications of DBT-ST for drinkers with psychological distress
Other: TAU group
Participants in the wait list control group will receive a monthly health education for three months that provides general health information and sharing sessions, which is one of the routine care for drinkers during the first 3-4 months after they seek help for drinking problem (waiting period for further intervention).
Behavioral: Monthly health education
General health information and sharing sessions

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Alcohol consumption
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
The Chinese version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C)
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Level of psychological distress
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-reported alcohol abstinence
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Self-reporting of quitting
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Emotion dysregulation
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Levels of emotion dysregulation
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Distress tolerance
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Perceived ability to tolerate emotional distress
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Coping response
Time Frame: Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention
Self-report measure of coping strategies
Baseline, Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST), 3-month post-intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Acceptability
Time Frame: Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)
Client Satisfaction
Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)
Feasibility of the intervention
Time Frame: Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)
1) Recruitment rate; (2) Intervention engagement in terms of time spent on each session and participation rates; and (3) Attrition rates
Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)
Semi-structured interview
Time Frame: Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)
Individual semi-structured interviews will be conducted at post-intervention to explore participants' experiences/perceptions of the internet-based DBT-ST, as well as their comments on the appropriateness/comprehensiveness of the content/frequency of the intervention.
Post-intervention (upon completion of the 13-week DBT-ST)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Long Kwan Ho, PhD, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 21, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 12, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

November 12, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 2, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 8, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

August 16, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 07210047

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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