Effectiveness Evaluation of a Phone-Based Motivational Intervention for Licit and Illicit Drug Abuse

Reactive or proactive telephone services for mental health intervention are an effective way to provide services to a widespread population. “VIVAVOZ" is the result of a partnership between the Brazilian government and the Health Sciences Federal University of Porto Alegre. It is a toll-free nationwide telephone-based counseling service available to the Brazilian population. The VIVAVOZ call center offers advice and information on the characteristics of psychoactive drugs, their effects on the body, on abuse prevention, on social and health resources available throughout the country, in addition to motivational brief intervention, for licit and illicit drug abuse. The calls are received by trained counselors and are continuously supervised by health professionals. Outcome measures of abstinence or reduction of drug use were obtained through follow-ups after 3, 7 and 14 days, and 1,3 and 6 months. From 2005 to 2012, the call center received more than 940,000 calls. Within these calls, around 168,000 were mainly from persons who were demanding information about drugs, who were drug users or had concerns about a family member with a drug abuse problem. Overall, drug users were more often male, with a mean of 35 years of age, less than 8 years of schooling and received 2 or less minimum wages per family. Family members who called were more often female, more than 35 years of age, less than 8 years of schooling and with 2 or less minimum wages per family. For those with a substance abuse problem, phone-based motivational intervention (PBMI), with additional cognitive behavioral and relapse prevention support was offered. The clinical trials with 6 months follow-up determined a higher chance of tobacco, alcohol, concomitant tobacco and alcohol, cannabis and cocaine/ crack cessation after the PBMI in comparison to minimal intervention. Better outcomes of PBMI for codependency were also seen. The effectiveness of the PBMI outcomes from these studies are similar to those reported in face-to-face motivational interventions. It may be concluded that the toll-free call center offers specialized service to lower income Brazilians, with no need of appointments, at the time the users consider pertinent, with considerable effectiveness and efficiency rates, offering orientation and support for primary and secondary prevention of drug abuse.