Sri Lanka faces significant challenges with risky drinking—defined as drinking patterns that elevate the risk of alcohol-related harm. Among individuals aged 15 and older, approximately 10% of the overall population and 33% of current drinkers engage in such risky drinking behaviours. However, Sri Lanka lacks culturally appropriate interventions that can be effectively delivered by non-specialist healthcare providers.

The objectives of the project were to adapt the WHO’s alcohol brief intervention (BI), and pilot test it. 

The adapted brief intervention (ABI)-comprising of an information leaflet, alcohol information sheet and the manual- was highly acceptable to both patients and research assistants. A significant proportion of patients remain abstinent at baseline and follow-up due to ongoing health concerns. We concluded that three-arm design and assessment methods (including family perspectives) were feasible, however the in-patient setting and TLFB proved unsuitable for a future RCT.

We then conducted a study to determine the prevalence of risky drinkers in a primary healthcare setting, to assess suitability of this as an alternative RCT setting. Of the 1,414 males who consented to participate during a two-month period, 39.2% (555 individuals) were classified as risky drinkers. Notably, participants demonstrated very limited knowledge relevance to addressing risky drinking.

We then conducted a second pilot study in the same primary care setting with similar objectives to the initial pilot study but utilising alternative outcome measures. Analysis of these data is currently in progress.

Speaker: Dewasmika Ariyasinghe

Dewasmika Ariyasinghe is an academic member of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She is s specialist in Psychiatry. Her research interests include interventions to minimize alcohol related harms, cognitive deficits in ageing and in mental illnesses.