Alcohol Treatment Matrix

The Alcohol Treatment Matrix maps the domain of the treatment of problem-drinking adults (another deals with drug-related problems) onto two intersecting dimensions, and for each sub-domain (a cell) lists the most important UK-relevant research and guidance. Across the columns, the ‘Intervention level’ dimension moves from specific interventions through how their impacts are affected by the widening contexts of practitioners, management, the organisation, and whole area or national treatment systems. Down the rows, the ‘Intervention type’ dimension segments into the major types of interventions implemented at these levels. Visit the About the matrices page for more on their origins and construction.

Click individual cells in the table below to see the documents selected for that cell and (see below) the Matrix Bite commentary. Alternatively, see this résumé of the entire Matrix Bites course for a more conventional row-by-row presentation.

Matrix Bites Fortnightly cell-by-cell introduction to the matrices cumulating to a foundation course on the treatment evidence-base. Each bite was incorporated in its cell in the table and remains available for you access. Click row title for an introduction to that row’s bites, or click a cell and in the resulting page unfold the bite by clicking the Matrix Bite link at the bottom.

COLUMNS

Staff working directly with clients and patients may find columns A and B most relevant;
Their managers columns C and D;
Commissioners and planning partnerships column E.

ROWS
Staff in generic services such as primary care may find row 1 most relevant;
Staff in specialist medical services rows 2 and 3;
Counsellors and therapists in specialist services rows 2 and 4;
Staff working for the criminal justice system rows 2 and 5.

CELLS
Where available, each cell includes links (or links to corresponding Effectiveness Bank analyses) to a few:
S Seminal studies from the past of lasting relevance
K Key studies; usually more recent studies of particular importance
R Reviews of the research on this topic
G Guidelines on practice based on research
more Searches for other relevant documents on the Effectiveness Bank web site

More about this document

Alcohol Treatment Matrix Click cells to see the documents selected for that cell and Matrix Bite commentary

Intervention level  Intervention type	A Interventions Techniques, programmes, equipment, therapies or medications ... more	B Practitioners Staff attributes, training, skills, qualifications, and competencies ... more	C Management/ supervision Selecting, training and managing staff and managing interventions ... more	D Organisational functioning What kinds of organisations foster effectiveness at levels A, B and C ... more	E Treatment systems Fostering effective organisations and an appropriate mix and quality of services across an area ... more
1 Screening and brief intervention Identifying and advising people not seeking help for their drinking but who might benefit from it ... more	Effectiveness of screening and brief intervention	The practitioner in screening and brief intervention	Management and supervision in screening and brief intervention	Organisational functioning and screening and brief intervention	Local and national systems and screening and brief intervention
2 Generic and cross-cutting issues Affecting medical and psychosocial treatments and criminal justice work ... more	Generic features of medical and psychosocial treatments	The practitioner in treatment and therapy	Management and supervision in treatment and therapy	Organisational functioning and treatment and therapy	Local and national systems for treatment and therapy
3 Medical treatment Treatment in a medical context involving medical care, usually medications ... more	Effectiveness of medical care and treatment in medical settings	The practitioner in medical settings and treatments	Management and supervision in medical settings and treatments	Organisational functioning and medical settings and treatments	Medical settings and treatments in treatment systems
4 Psychosocial therapies ‘Talking therapies’ in which human interaction is the main active ingredient ... more	Psychosocial therapies: effectiveness and general principles	The practitioner in psychosocial therapies	Management and supervision in psychosocial therapies	Organisational functioning and psychosocial therapies	Psychosocial therapies in treatment systems
5 Safeguarding the community Funded or ordered to safeguard the wider community, or studies of these impacts ... more	Treatment’s contribution to safeguarding the community	The practitioner and safeguarding the community	Management and supervision and safeguarding the community	Organisational functioning and safeguarding the community	Local and national systems and safeguarding the community