The Authors’ Own Words: Feasibility and Acceptability of Using an App Help Identify Psychomotor Function Impairments During Drinking Occasions

The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

“Behavioral interventions delivered through mobile phone communication technologies show promise in reducing alcohol consumption in young adults, but current designs may not be optimized. One way to improve effectiveness is to deliver behavioral support when an individual is drinking to both influence self-regulation of alcohol consumption and prevent risky behaviors. To achieve this goal, methods are needed to efficiently identify impairments related to drinking as they occur in real-time and optimally influence individuals to limit drinking and/or avoid risky behaviors once drinking has been initiated. This paper describes the feasibility and potential utility of a mobile app that measures psychomotor impairments during drinking occasions. Preliminary findings generally support the concept of using these mobile games to identify alcohol-related impairments in young adults that they may not be aware of, but highlights difficulties in achieving high sustained engagement.”