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Psychiatric co‐m orbidity alcoholics: a prospective representative sam ple and aftercare am ong study of a nationwide
Author(s) -
Tomasson Kristin N,
Vaglum Per
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1998.93342310.x
Subject(s) - attendance , medicine , psychiatry , prospective cohort study , substance abuse , economics , economic growth , surgery
A bstract A im s. To study prospectively the type and extent of aftercare sought by patients following their admission for alcohol and other substance abuse treatment as a function of psychiatric co‐morbidity . D esign. Prospective cohort study with follow‐up after 16 months . Setting and participants. A nationwide sample of alcoholics discharged from inpatient treatment ( N = 351) in Iceland . M easurem ents. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to assign psychiatric diagnoses at the time of index admission. A questionnaire on the type and number of aftercare attendances was mailed to all participants to obtain information about aftercare . Findings. A combination of attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and professional care was the most common aftercare (49%); while only 8% received no aftercare whatsoever. The mean number of AA attendances was over 24 while it was less than 3 for the various professional appointments. Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had a lower rate of attendance at AA. Other types of co‐morbidity did not affect AA attendance but did increase rates of professional help‐seeking . C onclusions. Better professional treatment attendance might be gained by integrating AA concepts while AA might benefit from professional input to address the prevalent co‐morbid psychiatric disorders.