A 6-year follow-up of alcoholics after long-term outpatient treatment.
The predictors of the long-term outcome in alcoholics (n = 50) who had been treated in a 2-year outpatient treatment program were investigated. Previously, the sample had been followed up personally 2 years after the termination of treatment. This study is a repeated, independent follow-up of the same sample over a 4-year period, 3-6 years after termination of treatment. Outcome could be categorized in 38 subjects. Patients with a favorable outcome during at least 2 years of the 4-year follow-up period (n = 21), who were categorized as a positive outcome group, were compared with the other patients (n = 17). There was no significant correlation between initial patient characteristics and outcome 3-6 years after treatment. Drinking outcome during the 1st half-year of treatment had no correlation to positive drinking outcome in years 3-6, whereas there was a positive correlation for later phases of treatment and outcome reaching a significant level during the 2nd and 4th half-year of treatment. A favorable drinking outcome during years 1-2 after treatment had a positive significant correlation to outcome in years 3-6 after treatment [i.e., 80% of the patients with a favorable outcome during the 1st follow-up period also had a positive outcome during the 2nd follow-up period, and 72% of those who had an unfavorable outcome during the 1st follow-up period had an unfavorable outcome also during the 2nd follow-up period (chi 2 test = 10.4, p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ojehagen
A
A
Department of Psychiatry, University of Lund, Sweden.
Berglund
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M
Moberg
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AL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D016896:Treatment Outcome