title: Alcohol use outcomes and heavy drinking at 4-5 years among a treatment sample of drug misusers.
abstract: This paper investigates alcohol outcomes and heavy drinking among 418 drug misusers from the National Treatment Outcome Research Study who completed followup interviews at 1, 2, and 4-5 years. About a quarter of the sample were drinking heavily at intake. Alcohol consumption at followup was predicted by drinking prior to intake, and about a quarter of those who were classified as alcohol abstainers, medium-level drinkers, or heavy drinkers at intake, remained in the same drinking category at all assessment points. Drinking outcomes were not related to opioid use. Heavy drinkers at followup were more likely to be using non-opioid drugs. The poor drinking outcomes are a matter for concern. Drug misusers with concurrent alcohol problems may require special treatment provision. The extent of heavy drinking among drug misusers both before and after treatment indicates a need to develop and strengthen programs and interventions to tackle alcohol-related problems in this patient group.
authors.affiliation: National Addiction Centre, Maudsley Hospital, 4 Windsor Walk, SE5 8AF, London, UK. M.Gossop@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gossop
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marsden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013695:Temperance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome