Behavioral economic and wellness-based approaches for reducing alcohol use and consequences among diverse non-student emerging adults: study protocol for Project BLUE, a randomized controlled trial

Emerging adults (EAs) who are not 4-year college students nor graduates are at elevated risk for lifetime alcohol use disorder, comorbid drug use, and mental health symptoms, compared to college graduates. There is a need for tailored brief alcohol intervention (BAI) approaches to reduce alcohol risk and to facilitate healthy development in this high-risk population. Most BAIs include a single session focused on discussing risks associated with drinking and correcting normative beliefs about drinking rates. EAs may benefit from additional elements that enhance general wellness. The substance-free activity session (SFAS) aims to clarify life goals and values and increase goal-directed activities that provide alternatives to alcohol use, and the relaxation training (RT) session teaches relaxation and stress reduction skills. The present study is a randomized 3-group (BAI + SFAS vs. RT + SFAS vs. education control) trial with 525 EAs (175 per group; estimated 50