Treatment outcome in alcoholism - a comparison of self-report and the biological markers carbohydrate-deficient transferrin and gamma-glutamyl transferase.
The primary source for evaluating treatment outcome in alcoholism is usually verbal self-report. Because the validity of self-report is often doubted, more objective markers for treatment outcome are needed. In this study, we compared self-report data from 238 male alcohol-dependent patients participating in a combined 6-week inpatient followed by a 1-year outpatient treatment program with the biological markers carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). According to self-report, over 70% of the patients had a positive treatment outcome (57% abstinence, 16% intermediate relapse). These results are supported by the general reduction of CDT and GGT during the treatment period (p < 0. 001). When we performed a cross-sectional analysis at 6 months during the outpatient program, there was a high consistency of self-report data with the biological markers (CDT 93%, GGT 91%, CDT/GGT 85%). Our results support the hypothesis that in abstinence- oriented treatment programs, self-reports are valid and can be used as the basis of measurement for treatment outcome.
Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Research Center, University of Tübingen, Germany. goetz.mundle@uni-tuebingen.de
G
G
Mundle
K
K
Ackermann
A
A
Günthner
J
J
Munkes
K
K
Mann
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015415:Biomarkers; D018981:Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013695:Temperance; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase