A randomised controlled trial of the Flinders Program{TM} of chronic condition management in Vietnam veterans with co-morbid alcohol misuse, and psychiatric and medical conditions

To evaluate the efficacy of the Flinders Program of chronic condition management on alcohol use, psychosocial well-being and quality of life in Vietnam veterans with alcohol misuse. Method: This 9-month wait-list, randomised controlled trial used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score = 8 as the entry criterion. Intervention veterans received the Flinders Program plus usual care and controls received usual care. The primary outcome measure was AUDIT score at baseline, 3, 6 and 9 months. Secondary measures included quality of life, alcohol dependence (DSM-IV), anxiety and depression. All measures were repeated at variable trial end dates between 9 and 18 months in the intervention group. Results: Randomisation resulted in 46 intervention and 31 control participants. Intent-to-treat analyses showed AUDIT scores improved significantly from baseline to 9-month follow-up (p = 0.039) in the intervention group compared to control group. The control group had 1.46 times the risk of alcohol dependence than the intervention group at 9 months (p = 0.027). There were no significant differences between groups for secondary measures. Within-group analyses showed that both groups significantly improved in AUDIT (p <0.001), anxiety and depression (p <0.01), anger (p <0.001), and post-traumatic stress (p <0.01). Improvements in AUDIT (p <0.001) and alcohol dependence were maintained in the intervention group to 18 months.