DrinksRation - an Android and iOS app for Armed Forces personnel
Feel better and save money by drinking less alcohol
DrinksRation provides tailored support to help you cut down your drinking by learning your drinking behaviours.
DrinksRation automatically detects changes in your drinking behaviour and provides real time tailored support to help you cut down.
DrinksRation gives you control of your data, and you can request a copy, delete or change the data you give us at any time.
DrinksRation is a smartphone app designed to reduce alcohol misuse in the Armed Forces through the application of digital technology and behavioural change theory. This combination means that DrinksRation and the messages we send to you are personalised around your own goals and lifestyle. This allows us to support you to make changes you want to your drinking.
DrinksRation is a collaborative project between King’s Centre for Military Health Research, Combat Stress. and Lancaster University.
In some cases we may ask for your mobile number to allow us to send you personalised messages to help cut down your drinking. You can stop these messages at any time by replying STOP or by heading to the 'Settings' tab in the app.
You can email us at [email protected] to request a copy.
Only those involved in managing DrinksRation will have access to personally identifiable data. We will not share personally identifiable data with anyone outside the research team. However, we may publish data such as drinking diary, questionnaire scores and physical health status anonymously. You can opt-out of this data sharing at any time through the 'Settings' tab.
You can delete your account and all data via the app. Visit the 'Settings' tab of the app and click 'Delete Account'.
Please send us an email to [email protected] or contact Dr Daniel Leightley.
In 2016 the Medical Research Council funded the design, development and feasibility of an app to support Armed Forces personnel who drink at a
hazardous level. It was from this grant that
DrinksRation was born.
To test the validity of DrinksRation, we trialled it in 31 veterans of the UK Armed Forces, and interviewed 29 of them to gain their feedback about the app.
After analysing all the data, we found that DrinksRation was a feasible way of supporting the Armed Forces in reducing the amount they drink. We published the code open source and published our qualitative and quantitative findings.
The success of DrinksRation attracted media attention from the Metro, Independent and The Telegraph.
With funding from the Forces in Mind Trust, and in collaboration with Combat Stress, we conducted a Randomised Controlled Trial of DrinksRation with veterans who have received treatment for a mental health condition. We found that the app was effective in reducing the amount veterans drink.
Following on from the success of the DrinksRation trial, we released the app publicly. Anyone can download and use it.
With funding from the Office for Veterans' Affairs, and in collaboration with Combat Stress, we are exploring the unique needs of female veterans.
We're open to collabration. Get in touch with your idea!
