A new smartphone app called A-CHESS may help alcoholics overcome their addiction, according to research conducted at the University of Wisconsin. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that participants using the application were 65% more likely to abstain from alcohol.
A-CHESS has several features: peer-to-peer messaging and discussion forums among A-CHESS users, guided-relaxation audio and video-chat with counselors. A GPS system in the phone can detect when a subject nears a high risk area like a familiar bar.
"These sort of systems have enormous potential," said lead author David Gustafson, a professor of industrial engineering and preventive medicine at the University of Wisconsin. "They are going to allow us to turn around not only addiction treatment, but the whole field of health care."
The study also found that A-CHESS users experienced fewer risky drinking days (days in which drinking exceeded four standard drinks for men and three for women in a two-hour period), than their counterparts who underwent traditional treatments.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Health News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.