Does race make a difference among primary care patients with alcohol problems who agree to enroll in a study of brief interventions?
This study describes the severity, alcohol consumption, consequences, readiness to change, and coping behaviors of African-American and white primary care patients enrolled in a trial of brief interventions for problem drinking. In multivariate analysis, unemployment but not race was associated with clinical indicators of alcohol problems. African-Americans reported no difference in alcohol consumption and similar quality of life scores. African-American race and unemployment were both associated with increased identification and resolution of alcohol problems. There was no difference in readiness to change, but African-Americans reported more problems related to alcohol and greater use of coping behaviors to avoid drinking. African-Americans may be better equipped to manage drinking problems when they do occur due to increased familiarity with coping mechanisms.
Conigliaro
J
J
Section of General Internal Medicine, Center for Health Services Research, VA Pittsburgh Health Care System, University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA. joseph.conigliaro@med.va.gov
Maisto
S A
SA
McNeil
M
M
Kraemer
K
K
Kelley
M E
ME
Conigliaro
R
R
O'Connor
M
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D013695:Temperance / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*