ABC-Training for Alcohol Use During a Voluntary Abstinence Challenge: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract The current study aimed to test the effectiveness of ABC-training in influencing drinking behaviors during voluntary abstinence challenges, compared with Approach Bias Modification (ApBM) and sham-ApBM. We conducted two randomized controlled trial studies with three between-subject conditions: ABC-training, conventional ApBM, and sham-ApBM. Assessments were conducted at baseline, midtest, and posttest and at 2-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Participants were Dutch drinkers enrolled in the online abstinence challenge “IkPas” (Study 1: N = 261, mage = 57.47, SD = 10.01; Study 2: N = 319, mage = 55.65, SD = 10.81). Pre-registered outcomes included number of days abstinent and number of binge drinking days during the challenge and alcohol consumption at follow-ups. We found no significant difference in pre-registered outcomes between conditions. However, exploratory analysis revealed a higher success rate in abstinence during the challenge for participants who received ABC-training in both studies. Although ABC-training did not demonstrate significant effectiveness in changing pre-registered drinking behaviors compared with controls, exploratory findings suggest it enhanced success rates of abstinence during the challenge. Further research is needed to explore the generalizability of these results to broader populations, including clinical samples as well as people wanting to quit other addictions (e.g., smoking).