Readiness to change alcohol drinking habits after traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To describe how motivated are persons with recent traumatic brain injury (TBI) to change their alcohol drinking habits and what factors affect their motivation.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Acute inpatient rehabilitation program.


METHODS
Subjects were 50 patients with recent TBI during inpatient rehabilitation.


METHODS
Readiness to Change (RTC) questionnaire, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), and alcohol use questions.


RESULTS
Subjects were 36 years old; 86% were men. Eighty-four percent fell in the contemplation or action phases. Comparisons with a separate medical patient sample suggested that TBI may be associated with greater contemplation of change and greater readiness to take action to change alcohol use. Multivariate analyses indicated that within the TBI sample a positive history of alcoholism, alcohol involved in the accident, and higher daily consumption were associated with greater readiness to change (especially contemplation scores).


CONCLUSIONS
Soon after TBI, drinkers frequently contemplate changing their alcohol use. This situation may represent an underutilized window of opportunity to reduce postinjury alcohol use and abuse. Motivational interviewing techniques seem well suited to facilitate change during this period.
Bombardier
C H
CH
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
Ehde
D
D
Kilmer
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000431:Ethanol