Alcohol interventions for mandated college students: A meta-analytic review

Background: Higher education institutions in the US must establish and enforce alcohol-related policies, and alcohol education programs and behavioral interventions feature prominently in disciplinary sanctions. It is important to know if mandated interventions reduce consumption and negative consequences, and which interventions are the most efficacious. We conducted a meta-analysis to (a) identify efficacious interventions for mandated students, and (b) determine if sample characteristics or intervention features influence outcomes. Methods: To be included, studies had to sample mandated students, examine interventions focusing on reducing alcohol consumption or problems, and provide sufficient information to calculate within-group effect sizes (ES). Included were 30 studies with 67 separate interventions (N = 8,646; M age = 19 years; 35% women; 84% White). Independent raters coded participant, design, methodological and intervention characteristics. Weighted mean ES, using random-effects models, were calculated; positive ES indicated lower alcohol consumption and fewer alcohol-related problems. Results: Compared to controls, intervention participants reduced alcohol consumption (i.e., typical quantity, specific events, or peak consumption), lowered BAC levels (typical and peak), and reported fewer alcohol-related problems. ES magnitudes were small, ranging from 0.08 (95% CI, 0.02 to 0.13) to 0.20 (95% CI, 0.14 to 0.26). No changes in the frequency of drinking or heavy drinking were found. Sample (e.g., prior alcohol use) and intervention features (e.g., group-based, face-to-face delivery) moderated alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Behavioral interventions for mandated students reduce alcohol use and problems. Our findings offer guidance to campus health professionals who want to provide evidence-based interventions to students who violate campus alcohol policy.