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Relapse by Alcohol Abusers
Author(s) -
Pickens Roy W.,
Hatsukami Dorothy K.,
Spicer Jerry W.,
Svikis Dace S.
Publication year - 1985
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.1530-0277.1985.tb05744.x
Subject(s) - abstinence , relapse prevention , medicine , mood , psychiatry , alcohol , biochemistry , chemistry
During the first year after treatment, 44% of a sample of alcohol abusers reported relapse to alcohol use. Relapse rate Increased to a peak at 6 months after treatment and then decined. Depressed or anxious mood was the reason most frequently given (31%) for relapse. Of subjects who relapsed, almost half (42%) reported a subsequent return to abstinence which was then maintained for the remainder of the foNowup period. Of these subjects, half (51%) reported the duration of the drinking period to be less than 2 weeks. Of subjects showing a daily drinking pattern prior to treatment, 20% showed a dairy drinking pattern after relapse, 46% showed bouts of drinking and abstinence, and 33% showed abstinence with no further drinking. Of subjects snowing bouts of drinking prior to treatment, none showed a deify drinking pattern after relapse, 44% showed bouts of drinking and abstinence, and 56% showed abstinence with no further drinking. There was no significant effect of sex or age on relapse rate, time to relapse, or reasons for relapse.