Abstract
Background: In Germany inpatient long-term therapy for alcohol-dependence (about 12 weeks) is rather common. During this therapy the patients are allowed to drive home at some of the weekends. Many of the patients returning to the clinic have covert lapses. In this study we wanted to assess whether therapists can detect these lapses due to experience and their interaction with the patients. Methods: In this explorative study lapses according to patient statements, breathalyzer results and post treatment urinary ethyl glucuronid (ETG) analysis were compared with the judgements of the therapists concerning covert relapse. Results: The therapists regarded lapses in 1190 of 1501 (79.3 %) home stays at weekend as improbable. In 231 cases (15.4 %) the therapists rated the probability of a lapse as 40-60 %. In 80 home stays at weekend (5.3 %) a lapse was judged as rather probable (70-100 %). The comparison of the therapist's rating with the EtG-measurements showed no agreement (kappa.077). Most of the relapses were only identified by the EtG-measurement. Conclusions: The results show that the therapists underestimate the rate of relapses of their patients at weekend home stays. To better integrate the problem of lapses into therapy EtG-measurements are recommended.
| Translated title of the contribution | Covert lapses during an inpatient treatment for alcohol abstinence. Therapists' judgment vs. EtG assessment. |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Journal | Sucht |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Pages (from-to) | 355-361 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 0939-5911 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17.12.2019 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM)
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