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Alcohol Misuse Interventions in the Workplace: A Systematic Review of Workplace and Sports Management Alcohol Interventions

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Abstract

Alcohol misuse has been linked to negative organizational outcomes, including reduced productivity and increased absenteeism. Additionally, media reports have focused on alcohol misuse within sporting organizations. Given the paucity of research evaluating alcohol misuse interventions in professional sporting organizations, two systematic literature searches were conducted. Review one examined alcohol interventions in the workplace, and Review two included sport as a search term. Resultant papers demonstrated four categories of workplace alcohol interventions; brief, web based, psychosocial, and random drug and alcohol testing. Brief interventions were prevalent, yielding largely non-significant results. Review two studies evaluated a community sporting intervention, which adopted an ecological, multi-level approach, yielding significant improvements in alcohol consumption, drink-driving, and club profitability. Brief interventions in workplaces were ineffective, and no brief interventions were found in elite sporting organizations. However, community sporting interventions showed promising results. Ongoing evaluation of alcohol interventions in professional sporting organizations are recommended.

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Authors Christina Kolar and Author Kathryn von Treuer declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood East, VIC, 3125, Australia

    Christina Kolar & Kathryn von Treuer

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Correspondence to Christina Kolar.

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Kolar, C., von Treuer, K. Alcohol Misuse Interventions in the Workplace: A Systematic Review of Workplace and Sports Management Alcohol Interventions. Int J Ment Health Addiction 13, 563–583 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-015-9558-x

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