Brief interventions

Brief interventions aim to prevent or delay substance use, reduce its intensity or prevent escalation into problem use. These time-limited interventions operate in the grey area between prevention and treatment, and typically target young people or people at risk of substance use problems. They can be delivered by a variety of health and social professionals, including general practitioners, counsellors, youth workers and police officers, and often incorporate elements of motivational interviewing.

Current data indicate that brief interventions are not widely implemented in Europe, with 3 countries reporting full and extensive provision of such interventions in schools, and 2 reporting that level of provision in low-threshold services.

Brief interventions have been characterised as relatively low-cost, with the potential for delivery in multiple settings by a variety of professionals after brief training. Examples of brief interventions implemented in several countries are eSBIRT, which provides brief interventions in emergency departments (Belgium), and Fred, which targets young people at an initial stage of criminal prosecution (Germany, Cyprus, Poland, Romania, Slovenia). However, a recent EMCDDA review found that while research supporting the effectiveness of brief interventions exists, it is still incomplete and more knowledge is needed on the extent of implementation.