A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of...
Peer-Led Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) in Spain
Reviewed
Addiction (June 2026) published RCT results for a peer-led implementation of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) at a Spanish university. This high-quality RCT found sizable (28-37%) reductions in alcohol use outcomes, including average weekly drinks consumed and binge-drinking episodes, at the 12-month follow-up.
Relevant Excerpt from the Study Abstract:
Findings: At the primary 12-month follow-up, statistically significant between-group differences were observed for all nine measured outcomes. For the primary outcome, the mean weekly alcohol consumption was 8.93 drinks [95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.7– 10.2] in the intervention group and 12.35 drinks (95% CI = 11.1–13.6) in the control group. The between-group difference was 3.42 drinks (95% CI = 1.66–5.18), indicating lower consumption in the intervention group. Among the secondary outcomes, statistically significant differences were also observed for weekend drinking (3.08 drinks, 95% CI = 1.59–4.56), drinks on the heaviest occasion (3.27 drinks, 95% CI = 1.79–4.76), binge drinking frequency (0.93 episodes, 95% CI = 0.54–1.32) and alcohol-related consequences (3.28 points, 95% CI = 1.74–4.82).
Conclusions: Among Spanish college students who had engaged in at least one episode of heavy drinking in the previous month, a single peer-led Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) session produced sustained improvements in alcohol use, related consequences, and psychological mediators up to 12 months postintervention.
We have no suggested revisions to the study abstract.
No-Spin’s Study Overview
Well-conducted RCT of a peer-led Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) at a Spanish university finds sizable (28-37%) reductions in alcohol use outcomes, including average weekly drinks consumed and binge drinking episodes, at the 12-month follow-up.
Program:
- BASICS is a brief intervention designed to reduce risky drinking among college students through motivational interviewing and personalized feedback.
- As delivered in this study, students received a single, private, 50-minute face-to-face session, in which nursing students trained as peer counselors reviewed the student's alcohol use and how it compared with typical student norms, while discussing alcohol-related risks and collaboratively setting goals to reduce harmful drinking.
Study Design:
- The study sample comprised 308 first- or second-year students at a private university in Spain, recruited through newsletters, announcements, and social media. The students were randomly assigned to a treatment group (N=154) that received BASICS or a control group (N=154) that did not.
- 68% of the sample members were female and 32% were male. At study entry, sample members reported an average of 12.5 drinks per week.
- At the 12-month follow-up, alcohol-related outcomes were measured through student self-reports using well-established, widely-used assessments.
- Based on our review criteria, this was a well-conducted RCT.
Findings:
- At the 12-month follow-up, the study found sizable (28-37%), statistically significant reductions in all four of the prespecified primary outcomes.
- For example, treatment group students consumed an average of 3.42 fewer drinks in a typical week than the control group (8.93 treatment vs. 12.35 control) and had an average of 0.93 fewer binge drinking episodes in the past month (1.60 treatment vs. 2.53 control).
Comment:
- Versions of the BASICS program have previously been evaluated in high-quality U.S. RCTs, with overall promising results. However, the various studies (including the Spanish RCT summarized here) have not yet convincingly shown that impacts are sustained beyond one year. Further research to assess longer-term impacts would be valuable.
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