Who uses online interventions for problem drinkers?

The goal of this research was to understand why some people use online interventions for drinking problems, whereas others with comparable access to the interventions do not. As part of a randomized controlled trial, 92 participants in the experimental condition were provided access to a password-protected version of a Web-based personalized feedback intervention (the Check Your Drinking [CYD] screener, www.CheckYourDrinking.net). Information collected at baseline was compared between those who accessed the Web site and those who did not. Those who accessed the Web site tended to be more frequent users of the Internet, to drink less, and to perceive that others of the same age and gender drank less as compared with those who did not access the intervention. Some of these results are troubling as the preferred target of this type of intervention would be those who drink more and perceive that others are also heavy alcohol consumers.