[Is the European Addiction Severity Index a useful tool in the diagnostic routines of alcohol dependence?].
OBJECTIVE
To study the validity of the EuropASI in the patient allocation context and to measure the alcohol severity changes with treatment.


METHODS
The examination based on three groups of alcohol-dependent patients (n = 242): outpatients (n = 75), inpatients in a short-term treatment (n = 88), and inpatients in a long-term treatment (n = 79). Treatments took place in two clinics. The European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI)-Composite Scores were calculated for severity assessment of alcohol dependence. These scores are qualified for change measurement and scientific utilization. Assessments took place on admission and at discharge from the treatment unit. Analyses included the outset values comparison and the examination of both time as well as group effects.


RESULTS
Mean age of patients was 45.3 years (SD = 8.6) and 26,4 % of the participants were females (n = 64). The three groups differed significantly in their completion of professional training, employment status, marital status, onset of alcohol dependence, daily alcohol intake in the past half year, previous detoxifications, previous rehabilitations, and at least one attempted suicide. Adjusted for these variables, the 3 groups differed in the alcohol domain at t0, and t0-t1-improvements resulted for the whole sample in the alcohol domain and the domain 'employment satisfaction'.


CONCLUSIONS
The severity ratings by means of EuropASI-Composite Scores illustrated the assumption that the severity level gives information about the treatment needs: the more severe disorder the larger the treatment needs. Furthermore, a t0-t1-decrease of the Composite Scores was shown for the whole sample in the domains 'alcohol use' and 'employment satisfaction'. This points to a reduction of the addiction severity level due to treatment. In spite of some limitations regarding the Composite Scores, the EuropASI seems to be useful for patient allocation.
Schmidt
P
P
Psychiatrische Klinik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany. peggy.schmidt@med.uni-muenchen.de
Küfner
H
H
Hasemann
S
S
Löhnert
B
B
Kolb
W
W
Zemlin
U
U
Soyka
M
M
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004493:Education; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*