Improving Alcohol and Well-Being Outcomes for Same-Sex Attracted Women

INTERVENTION: The intervention is a short message service (SMS) alcohol intervention tailored to same‐sex attracted women (SSAW). The messages in the intervention were developed by Rachel Bush and approved by SSAW and an expert panel. The intervention has three performance objectives: (1) alcohol reduction, (2) Improve well‐being, (3) increase help‐seeking. These will be achieved by addressing four behavioural determinants which were selected after conducting a comprehensive needs assessment: (1) social support, (2) motivation to change, (3) mental health, (4) resilience. The intervention consists of 37 messages which will be delivered over four weeks. One message will be sent in the afternoon on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and two messages will be sent in the afternoon and evening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Every Sunday, the message will ask participants to respond with the number of standard drinks they have consumed in the last seven days. The messages will be sent using an Australian SMS platform, MessageMedia, and delivered by Rachel Bush who is a PhD candidate. Each message delivered Mondays to Saturdays will be different. On Sundays the message will ask participants, "Text back the number of standard drinks you’ve had in the last 7 days. Use the drink chart in the welcome email or the SayWhen online calculator: goo.gl/0xJxbi". Messages delivered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are factual and/or provide links to resources. Example messages are "A professional psychologist can help you learn new ways to cope with problems in your life rather than using alcohol: www.psychology.org.au/FindaPsychologist" and "Seeking support can help you identify or relearn healthy coping strategies. Visit or call QLife for support and referrals: qlife.org.au/support/ or 1800184527". Messages delivered Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays provide suggestions for limiting alcohol use and prompt the recipient to reflect on ways to reduce their alcohol use. Example messages are, "It may be difficult to control the amount you drink when you’re out with your partner or friends. Set a limit before you go out" and "Decide how many drinks you want tonight and put that number of coins in your pocket. Move one across to the other pocket with each drink to help keep track." CONDITION: Addiction Hazardous alcohol use PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in severity of alcohol use ; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) World Health Organisation (WHO) (Saunders et al. 1993). ; Asking participants to report the number of standard drinks consumed in the last 30 days. ; Service access and engagement ; Measured using an adapted list of services from the Alcohol and lesbian/bisexual women – insights into culture and emotions (ALICE) study. Well‐being ; The Personal Wellbeing Index – Adult (Cummins et al., 2003). SECONDARY OUTCOME: Quality of Life ; The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)‐BREF (World Health Organization. Division of Mental Health, 1996). INCLUSION CRITERIA: A woman (including lesbian, bisexual, queer, and gender diverse women). Identify as a same‐sex attracted woman. Aged 18 years or over. Score 8 or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Own a mobile phone. Have access to the internet.