title: Special treatment facilities for alcoholics in Japan.
abstract: No comprehensive study on special treatment facilities for alcoholics in Japan has been reported. We conducted a questionnaire survey of alcoholism treatment wards, alcoholism treatment rooms, special outpatient clinics for alcoholics and halfway houses for alcoholics. The survey covered nearly all of such facilities in Japan. The results of the survey revealed the following characteristics: (1) The number of such facilities has increased rapidly in recent years; (2) the facilities are concentrated in cities; (3) the great majority of the facilities are privately operated; (4) many of the facilities are associated with psychiatric departments; and (5) there are very few facilities exclusively for female alcoholics. The most fundamental and important point is that the number of special treatment facilities for alcoholics is insufficient to meet current needs. These facilities have not diversified sufficiently to address adequately the changing needs of Japanese alcoholics.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Alcoholism, Kurihama National Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eboshida
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006208:Halfway Houses / Q000639:trends*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000639:trends*