With drinking so ingrained in Australian culture, changing risky habits can be socially and mentally challenging. Deakin University researchers believe they have a solution, developing an app using proven face-to-face therapy techniques to cut down alcohol consumption.
Called ‘Replace It,’ the app works as an eight-week program, translating proven, “well-founded and strongly-evidenced” therapy techniques into five minute daily activities.
These include monitoring daily intake, setting goals for reduced consumption and individually-tailored strategies that act directly on automatic decision-making.
Associate Head of Research for Psychology at Deakin University, Petra Staiger, says the app was developed to provide both convenience and anonymity to counter common hurdles problem drinkers face.
“We call it a ‘pocket therapist’,”Associate Professor Staiger said. “It’s there all the time, whereas for professional help, there’s time between sessions, and clients may struggle between these.”
Privacy was also a focus of the app’s development, enabling people to seek help from the comfort of their own home. “Initially, the title of the app had the word ‘alcohol’ in it, and we’ve now removed that,” she said.
The app logo also makes no reference to drinking.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Laura Bajurny says stigma around alcoholism is a considerable factor in people not reaching out, particularly in Australia.
“Because of how normalised alcohol is, in some situations a person seeking to reduce…their consumption may experience stigma as a non-drinker, and peer pressure to conform to a drinking culture,” said Ms Bajurny.
“For some people struggling with alcohol dependency, they may even experience difficulty in self-reflecting on their drinking.”
While Assoc. Professor Staiger believes this app could help reduce these issues, she says it is tailored towards problem drinkers, defined under national health guidelines as someone who drinks more than four standard drinks when they go out (on a regular basis), or more than an average of two standard drinks daily.
“If you’ve got very significant, very dependent alcoholism issues… then this app isn’t going to help you, and you need professional support.”
Featured Image: Deakin University has brought out a new app to target risky drinking habits. The app, ‘Replace It’ incorporates trusted face-to-face therapy practices. (Photo: Megan Whitfield)
