Effectiveness of the WeChat-based mini-program ("Sober Time ACT") on individuals with hazardous drinking in China: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Med. 2025 Jul 1;23(1):385. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04217-5.

Abstract

Background: Hazardous drinking is a big problem in China, but there are no effective intervention measures to solve this issue. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the WeChat-based mini-program "Sober Time ACT" in the hazardous drinking population.

Methods: A prospective two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted via WeChat between March and November 2023. A total of 186 participants with hazardous drinking were included and randomized in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group (n = 93) received the "Sober Time ACT" program, and the control group (n = 93) received alcohol abstinence brochures for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in craving before and after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included changes in average weekly alcohol consumption and average number of risky drinking days per month, as well as psychological indicators (depression, anxiety, sleep status, and perceived stress). Intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses were applied. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the expectation-maximization (EM) and the multiple imputation (MI) methods to handle missing data. Repeated measures ANOVA and linear regression models were used to evaluate all outcome indicators.

Results: The analysis revealed statistically significant time-by-group interaction effects for alcohol craving (P = 0.01), average weekly alcohol consumption (P = 0.03), anxiety levels (P = 0.03) and perceived stress (P < 0.05). The intervention group showed a significantly greater reduction in cravings from baseline to the end of follow-up compared to the control group with a group difference (P = 0.02 for EM and P = 0.01 for MI).

Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary prospective evidence that, despite the limitation of high dropout rate, the "Sober Time ACT" mini-program not only effectively reduces alcohol craving and consumption but also improves related psychological indicators to a certain extent, providing an innovative and effective intervention tool for addressing hazardous drinking in China.

Trial registration: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05827822) in March 2023.

Keywords: Abstinence; Craving; Digital intervention; Hazardous drinking; Randomized controlled trial.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcohol Abstinence* / psychology
  • Alcohol Drinking* / prevention & control
  • Alcohol Drinking* / psychology
  • Alcoholism* / psychology
  • Alcoholism* / therapy
  • China / epidemiology
  • Craving
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Young Adult

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05827822