A short cut review was carried out to establish whether brief psychotherapeutic intervention is worthwhile in children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments with alcohol-related events. 560 papers were found using the reported searches, of which 5 presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. It is concluded that brief psychotherapeutic interventions are indeed worthwhile in such patients.

Clinical Scenario

A 16-year-old male arrives at the emergency department having sustained a head injury after falling over whilst intoxicated. You have heard about the recent institution of an Alcohol Health Service in the department comprising two designated Alcohol Health Workers who administer brief psychotherapeutic interventions to children and adults presenting with alcohol-related events. Having assessed and treated the …