title: Social factors and readmission after inpatient detoxification in older alcohol-dependent patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol dependence is often a chronic relapsing disorder with frequent admissions to inpatient facilities. This study in older alcohol-dependent inpatients investigates the role of social factors in readmissions after inpatient detoxification.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, 132 older alcohol-dependent patients admitted to inpatient detoxification (mean age 63.4, SD = 6.6, 39.4% women) were interviewed with the European version of the Addiction Severity Index (Europ-ASI). Readmission to inpatient treatment was monitored up to 1 year after discharge. The effect of social factors on readmission, the number of readmissions and the time to first readmission was established using group comparisons, Poisson regression analysis, and Cox' proportional hazards regression analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven (50.8%) of the 132 patients were readmitted within 1 year. In this group, the median number of readmissions was 2 (IQR = 2, range 1-6) and the median time to first readmission was 88 days (IQR = 116, range 3-356). In a multivariate analysis, spending most leisure time alone predicted fewer readmissions. None of the other social factors predicted readmission, number of readmissions or time to first readmission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rehospitalization of older alcohol-dependent patients after detoxification is very common, and generally not predicted by social factors. Only spending most leisure time alone may play a role.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that most social factors are-unexpectedly-not associated with rehospitalization of older alcohol-dependent patients after detoxification. "Spending leisure time alone" warrants further study as a potentially modifiable predictor.
authors: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, the Netherlands.|Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors: Julia F
authors: JF
authors: Van den Berg
authors: Academic Psychiatric Center AMC/UvA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Van den Brink
authors: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, the Netherlands.
authors: Nicolien
authors: N
authors: Kist
authors: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, the Netherlands.
authors: Jolanda S J
authors: JS
authors: Hermes
authors: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, the Netherlands.
authors: Rob M
authors: RM
authors: Kok
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors