title: Treatment outcome of alcohol use disorder outpatients with or without medically assisted detoxification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the incremental effects of medically assisted detoxification on outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorders. The objective of this study was to compare drinking outcomes in a psychosocial treatment program between two groups of heavy drinking patients who had an alcohol use disorder: (a) one group with initial medically assisted detoxification and (b) a second group without initial medically assisted detoxification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were conducted on 262 patients with a more severe alcohol use disorder who completed both an intake assessment and a 9-month follow-up assessment. The effect of medically assisted detoxification was determined using logistic regression analysis with a propensity score to control for possible baseline differences between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 262 patients, 82 (31.3%) received medically assisted detoxification. These patients were more likely to abstain from alcohol than those without medically assisted detoxification. Abstinence rates in the month before follow-up were 32.9% and 18.9%, respectively (ORadj = 3.48, p = .01, number needed to treat = 7.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medically assisted detoxification may add to the effects of outpatient psychosocial treatment for heavy drinking patients with an alcohol use disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Jellinek Substance Abuse Treatment Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maarten J M
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Merkx
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maarten W J
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Koeter
authors.affiliation: Jellinek Substance Abuse Treatment Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wencke A J M
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: De Wildt
authors.affiliation: Jellinek Substance Abuse Treatment Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vedel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Goudriaan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Den Brink
mesh_terms: D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000523:psychology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome