RESUMO
One hundred patients admitted for alcohol withdrawal were followed for eight years. At the eight year mark, 25 percent had achieved stable abstinence of three years' duration or more, and 29 percent had died. Only 26 percent experienced continued serious problems with alcohol. Premorbid social stability and sustained abstinence made independent contributions to good psychosocial outcome at eight years. Premorbid social stability and Alcoholics Anonymous attendance made independent contributions to sustained abstinence. Review of these data and other major longitudinal studies suggests that factors other than professionally organized treatment per se exert substantial effect upon long-term outcome.
Assuntos
Alcoolismo/reabilitação , Alcoolismo/psicologia , Alcoolismo/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Anamnese , Probabilidade , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Recidiva , Apoio Social , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Four hundred inner-city men were prospectively studied from age 14 until age 47. Of these men, 110 met our research criteria for alcohol abuse; 49 of them achieved at least a year of abstinence. Paradoxically, stable abstinence was associated with severity of alcohol abuse. Abstinence was also associated with finding substitute dependencies, new relationships, "behavior modification," and religious or Alcoholics Anonymous involvement. Clinic treatment and good premorbid adjustment were not predictive of abstinence. Eighteen men were able to return successfully to problem-free drinking. Such men had previously manifested only a few symptoms of alcohol abuse.
