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Engaging patients with alcohol problems in treatment: the first consultation
Author(s) -
THOM BETSY,
BROWN CHERYL,
DRUMMOND COLIN,
EDWARDS GRIFFITH,
MULLAN MICHAEL,
TAYLOR COLIN
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1992.tb01962.x
Subject(s) - session (web analytics) , perception , medicine , heavy drinking , rating scale , alcohol intake , alcohol , clinical psychology , family medicine , psychology , psychiatry , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , medical emergency , developmental psychology , neuroscience , world wide web , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry
This paper considers the impact of the first consultation at a specialist alcohol clinic on patients' perceptions of their drink problem and on their expectations of help from three sources: an alcohol clinic, general practitioners and Alcoholics Anonymous. AT intake, mates had higher expectations than females of help from the alcohol clinic while people in manual occupations and those in the ‘less heavy’ drinking category had higher expectations of general practitioner help than other patients. Change was found to occur during the first clinic consultation so that by the end of the session patients had raised their rating of problem seventy and their expectations of help from the three sources examined. Overall, patient perceptions of the clinic assessment session were positive. The study highlights the importance of obtaining a full understanding of the process of engagement in treatment and indicates the potential of a clinical assessment to effect change in patient attitudes.