Influence of alcoholic's insight on their abstinent outcomes for one year after discharge

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was intended to present the importance of insight status concerning the abstinence of alcoholics. METHODS: The 214 subjects, who participated in insight improving programs during hospitalization in an alcohol treatment center, were followed up for their abstinent status during the 12 month period after discharge. The relation between their abstinence results and insight status was investigated. To find out the influence of other factors upon abstinence, stepwise multiple regression was performed over variables including disease severity, sociodemographic, therapeutic and familial features. RESULTS: The 73 individuals (34.1%) had 'no remission', 110 (51.4%) 'early full remission', and 31 (14.5%) 'sustained full remission'. The insight degree was significantly correlated with both 'initial consecutive months of sobriety'(IMS) after discharge and 'total months of sobriety'(TMS) during the follow up. The 153 subjects (71.5%) relapsed within four months after discharge, and the rate of continuous abstinence at each month differed significantly among three insight groups. On the inter group shifts during hospitalization, the abstinent months were greater in the group whose insight changed from 'poor ' to 'good insight' than the one from 'fair ' to 'good insight'. By stepwise multiple regression analysis, the higher insight scores, older age and shorter hospital days, in a decreasing order of association, the longer IMS and TMS, while absence of religion and lower MAST scores was associated only with IMS, with their overall R2 value of 18.5% and 20.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The insight degree was related to the length of abstinence and thus it is necessary to develop insight improving programs which can be of help to recovering patients.