Table 1.
Summary of text message interventions in patients with substance abuse.
| Authors (year) | Country | Population (sample) | Text messages | Principal outcome | Method, duration | Result |
| Suffoletto (2011) | USA | Young adults from urban emergency departments (n=45) | Text messages self-monitoring | Feasibility of heavy drinking days and drinks per drinking days, assessment by text message. | Randomized comparative study | Feasible |
| Stoner et al (2012) | USA | Treatment-seeking heavy drinkers (expected n=105) | Medication reminders and assessment | Effectiveness | Randomized trial | To be published |
| Haug et al (2013) | Switzerland | Vocational school students (n=477) | Self-monitoring | To evaluate appropriateness | Longitudinal pre-post study | Study found reduced percentage of persons with risky single-occasion drinking from baseline (75.5%, 210/278) to follow-up assessment (67.6%, 188/278, P<.001) |
| Keoleian et al (2013) | USA | Methamphetamine users (n=5) | Self-monitoring | Feasibility | Randomized crossover pre-test pilot study | 79% of scheduled assessment were collected. |
| Mason et al (2013) | USA | College students with alcohol problems (n=18) | Self-monitoring and supportive messages | Feasibility and effectiveness | Randomized trial | Text messages for alcohol abuse prevention are feasible. |
| Rios-Bedya et al (2013) | USA | Adolescents recruited in primary care clinics (n=29) | Ecological momentary assessment | Feasibility | Pilot study | High participation rate |
| Bendsten et al (2014) | Sweden | University students (n=454) | Self-monitoring and supportive messages | Satisfaction regarding text messages | Randomized trial | No difference was seen regarding satisfaction with length and frequency of messages, regardless of method of delivery. |
| Lucht et al (2014) | Germany | Inpatient after alcohol detoxification (n=80) | Information about telephone support, twice a week. | Controlled prospective open pilot study. | Pilot study | Feasibility and acceptability were good. Adherence was satisfactory with 57.14% of participants replying to at least 50% of prompts. |
| Moore et al (2014) | UK | Alcohol consumers recruited in university (n=80) | Self-monitoring | Acceptability | Randomized controlled trial | Acceptable and preferred to email conducted assessment |
| Rachel Gonzales et al (2014) | USA | Young participants transitioning out of substance abuse program (n=80) | Self-monitoring, supportive messages | Feasibility | Random | A significant effect of condition on primary drug use relapse outcomes over time was observed as measured by urine analysis. |
| Suffoletto et al (2014) | USA | Young adults discharged from emergency department (n=765) | Self-monitoring | Satisfaction towards text message or email contact | Randomized trial | Decreased number of binge drinking in web intervention group only |