Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: May 10, 2023
Open Peer Review Period: May 10, 2023 - Jul 5, 2023
Date Accepted: Jun 7, 2023
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Mediators and moderators in the co-occurring anxiety and alcohol use relationship: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Anxiety and alcohol use commonly co-occur. To better understand possible mechanisms driving this comorbid, bidirectional relationship, an increasing body of research has investigated factors mediating and moderating this association. Within the existing research, however, there have been contrasting findings and at times null results.
Objective:
As such, this protocol outlines a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to synthesise and clarify mediators and moderators in the anxiety-alcohol and alcohol-anxiety relationship.
Methods:
Systematic searches will be conducted in the electronic databases Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies which investigated mediators and moderators of the relationship between anxiety and alcohol use, including clinical and sub-clinical levels. Selected studies will also have their reference lists hand searched for other relevant papers. Study quality will be assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklists for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies and Cohort Studies. Mediators and moderators will be narratively synthesised in line with the biopsychosocial framework, and if the data is sufficiently homogenous, a meta-analysis will be conducted. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) framework will also be used to assess the strength of cumulative evidence.
Results:
Electronic database searches were conducted in September 2022. After duplicates were removed, a total of 7,331 titles and abstracts were screened. Full-text reviewing is currently underway with results of the review expected to be available by the end of 2023.
Conclusions:
Given the significant individual and societal impacts of cooccurring anxiety and alcohol use, this review will help clarify mechanisms linking these two concerns. Identified mechanisms, where possible, can then be targeted in prevention, early intervention, and treatment approaches to improve the outcomes for individuals experiencing cooccurring anxiety and alcohol use. Clinical Trial: This review has been registered with PROSPERO, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRDXXXXXX (will be added once the registration number is available).
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