Integrated Care for Alcohol Problems (ICAP)

The problem: Hazardous/harmful drinking is a significant global health issue, contributing to morbidity, mortality, and disability. In India and other low and middle income countries (LMICs), there is a rising trend in alcohol consumption and hazardous/harmful drinking. However, 86% of individuals with such drinking problems in India lack access to care, representing the highest treatment gap among mental and substance use disorders. Despite the effectiveness of psychosocial treatments, there is a gap in understanding integrated interventions, providing care for difficult-to-engage individuals, and implementing effective models at scale due to a lack of contextually relevant interventions and health system capacity.

Aim and objectives: The overarching goal of the project is to develop and test a scalable intervention for different levels of problem drinking, involving families to enhance treatment entry and adherence. It will also investigate strategies to prepare our health systems for integrating these interventions into routine healthcare delivery. Additionally, the project will involve relevant stakeholders to systematically develop a guidance document for scaling up psychosocial interventions efficiently in low-resource settings.