Abstract
The general hospital would be especially suited to initiate interventions if hospitalized alcohol-dependent individuals were particularly motivated to change their drinking behavior. This study compares the readiness to change of alcohol-dependent persons in the general hospital and the general population. Stages of change according to the model of Prochaska and DiClemente [6] are assessed using the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ) in two representative samples: 118 alcohol-dependent subjects admitted to a general hospital (sample 1) and 50 alcohol-dependent individuals in the general population (sample 2). In sample 1, alcohol-dependent persons were identified in 1167 consecutive admissions using screening questionnaires and a diagnostic interview (SCAN). In sample 2, alcohol dependence was assessed in 4075 individuals using a German version of CIDI. The distribution of stages of change differed significantly (p < 0.0001) between the groups, revealing a shift towards higher stages in the hospital subjects. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the stages of readiness to change and age contributed in predicting whether subjects belonged to the general hospital or the general population sample. Findings suggest that the general hospital is a suitable site to initiate interventions for alcohol-dependent individuals.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | General Hospital Psychiatry |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Pages (from-to) | 348-353 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISSN | 0163-8343 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 09.1999 |
Funding
This study was supported by German Ministry of Health grant 326-4914-8/83 and German Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Technology grant 01 EB 9406. The general population data are part of the German research network “Analytical Epidemiology of Substance Abuse (ANEPSA).” Factors related to the use and abuse of psychoactive substances are analyzed by different research groups in the context of several longitudinal studies. Contact persons are Dr. Bühringer/Dr. Küfner (IFT Institute for Therapy Research, Munich), Prof. Dr. Wittchen (Max-Planck-Institute, Munich), and Prof. Dr. John (University of Greifswald)/Prof. Dr. Dilling (Medical University of Lübeck). The Research network is funded in the context of the program “Biological and Psycho-Social Factors of Drug Abuse and Dependence” by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Technology. Data described in this paper belong to the Studies on “Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking” (TACOS) and are derived from the project “Drug Use in the Adult General Population and Remission from Drug Abuse without Formal Help,” part 1: “Drug Use in the Adult General Population in a Northern German City and Surrounding Communities”; principal investigators: Prof. Dr. John (University of Greifswald), Prof. Dr. Dilling (Medical University of Lübeck).
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM)
