Brief intervention

This chapter provides a description and discussion of the theory and practice of brief alcohol intervention together with scientific evidence to support its inclusion as an 'evidence-based' treatment. The chapter focuses on brief intervention in primary care settings since this is where the bulk of the research evidence has been collected. However, there is also a short assessment of the evidence on brief intervention in other settings. Finally, there is a consideration of methods to encourage the uptake and implementation of brief interventions by health and social care professionals.