CONFERENCE SUB-THEMES 

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• Increasing the footprint of brief interventions in Asia and other LMICs

• Technological innovations in brief interventions research

• Screening and brief interventions for Problematic Gaming and/or Problematic Gambling

• Importance of multi-stakeholder involvement and coordination in the successful implementation and scale-up of evidence-based brief interventions

• Mobilization of local communities to implement brief interventions through non-healthcare platforms

• Global challenges faced in the scaling-up of brief interventions

 

OUR AREAS OF FOCUS

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With the theme “Setting new directions for Brief Interventions”, the 17th INEBRIA conference - 2021 aims to shed light on the future of Brief Interventions (BIs) research while also examining the current landscape of BI research within the substance use field and the barriers to implementation of existing research strategies. This conference will also focus on low resource settings, due to their limited representation in BI research at a global scale, and taking advantage of the conference’s LMIC setting.

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The primary theme of the conference will be Increasing the footprint of BIs in Asia and other LMICs. This will be achieved by exploring new areas of research being pursued globally for addressing the challenge of unhealthy substance use, with a special interest in the scope of work being done in low-resource settings such as Asia. Acknowledging the current landscape of BIs in Asia and shedding light on the gaps that need to be addressed moving forward will be key. 

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Another integral theme will be addressing Technological innovations in BI research, which has been a focus of researchers globally, spanning from simple text-based messaging for treatment, to the use of applications for Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for capturing real-time data. However, the focus of such efforts has been concentrated on high-income settings. Emphasis will be given to the replication of successful technological BIs in low resource settings where limited access to resources such as a smartphone or internet connectivity poses a major challenge. An exciting topic to explore will be ethics in the use of technology and the data collected through it including data sharing and management.

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INEBRIA 2021 will also shed light on, and include in its conference programme, one of the newer thematic areas of SBIs for Problematic Gaming and/or Problematic Gambling. With ever-growing digital advancements, we are experiencing the digitization of gambling in the form of online games and apps as well as easy access to the gambling and gaming platforms which, in turn, serves as a factor for the development of the addiction itself. The conference will explore the current landscape of SBI research for gaming and/or gambling globally with a focus on LMICs. An important sub-theme to focus on here will be the co-morbidity of gaming and/or gambling with other substance-related problems such as harmful use of alcohol or other drugs, and SBIs that approach both elements of these comorbidities. Another key aspect to explore here would be the gaps in the SBI research base for gaming and/or gambling in Asia and elsewhere, and the way forward to address these gaps.

 

An important focus of the conference proceedings will also be directed towards the Importance of multi-stakeholder involvement and coordination in the successful implementation and scale-up of evidence-based BIs. The Conference will explore avenues to reduce the gap between ground realities and policies by involving policy makers, community workers, academicians, researchers, and key players from local authorities. One of the important sub-themes for the conference will be the Mobilization of local communities to implement brief interventions through non-healthcare platforms. This includes capacity building of the community and lay health workers for sustainable implementation of BIs. 

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Additionally, we will also address the Global challenges faced in the scaling-up of BIs as a sub-theme within the scope of the themes mentioned above and the strategies employed to address these challenges.

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The theme of this conference will give an opportunity to start a dialogue on multiple facets for exploring the innovative solutions required to move forward for addressing unhealthy substance use while also keeping in mind the existing research approaches and the challenges faced in implementation and scale-up. An important aim of the conference will be to encourage representation of LMICs, with a special focus on Asia, and encourage young researchers to participate in the conference and share their work and explore mentoring opportunities.