title: Mortality of treated alcoholics after eight years in relation to short-term outcome.
abstract: This study concerns the relation between mortality and the short-term outcome of inpatient treatment for alcoholism. A total of 121 patients (87 men, 34 women) were included, of whom 89 were voluntary and 32 compulsorily committed. They had a mean age of 41 +/- 7 (SD) years and attended a 5-week programme at Runnagården, Orebro, Sweden. Most patients were socially unstable and severely alcohol-dependent. Ten months (mean) after discharge, 96% of the patients and their referring social workers were contacted with mail questionnaires. Of these patients, 13% had been totally abstinent and a further 42% improved but had had relapses. After a mean of 8.5 +/- 0.27 years, 27 patients (24%) had died. All abstainers survived, but non-abstainers had nine-fold higher mortality than expected. Non-abstinent improved women tended to survive longer than non-improved women, but among non-abstinent improved men no such tendency was found. In conclusion, a reduction in the frequency and quantity of abusive drinking was not enough to reduce the higher risk of death. Only abstinence seemed to be preventive.
authors.affiliation: National Board of Institutional Care, Runnagården Treatment Centre, Orebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerdner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berglund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013695:Temperance; D016896:Treatment Outcome