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Hospital Treatment of Alcoholism: A Profile of Middle Income Americans
Author(s) -
Mendelson Jack H.,
Miller Kenneth D.,
Mello Nancy K.,
Pratt Herbert,
Schmitz Robert
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1982.tb04994.x
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , intervention (counseling) , outreach , medicine , incidence (geometry) , addiction , psychiatry , addiction treatment , family medicine , physics , optics , political science , law
3,411 first admissions for alcoholism treatment to nine proprietary hospitals were studied with standardized questionnaire and diagnostic instruments. Despite the patients' relative economic and social stability, severe patterns of addictive alcohol use had developed and persisted for many years with a high incidence of alcohol‐related and intercurrent medical disorders which required prompt medical intervention. Although most patients had a personal physician, less than 9% of referrals for hospital treatment for alcoholism were made by physicians; most patients responded to television outreach programs, recommendations by former patients or were self or family referred. This survey shows that persons who are neither socially disadvantaged nor economically deprived may have severe alcohol‐related problems. Such patients constitute a significant challenge to the medical profession to develop strategies for early intervention and more efficacious treatment.