Analysis of the duration of abstinence after treatment for alcohol dependence in a therapeutic community: differences between the sexes

Abstract

Purpose - The use and abuse of alcohol is problematic for a person's social and individual development. Maintenance of abstinence after detoxification programs is difficult for patients who experience a craving, and relapses during the course of the disorder are common. The purpose of this paper is to describe the socio-demographic and clinical features of alcohol-dependent patients by sex and alcohol use status and to analyze the percentage of patients who remained abstinent after 10months of psychological treatment.

Design/methodology/approach - In total, 50 alcohol-dependent patients were enrolled (34 men and 16 women). The patients attended a psychological treatment program at a therapeutic community, Projecte Home Balears, Spain. This paper used the European Addiction Severity Index to collect socio-demographic data and data on alcohol and other drugs and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 to measure emotional management.

Findings - Significant differences were observed in occupation (chi(2) = 9.9; p = 0.007) and duration of alcohol use (U = 137.000; p = 0.005) by sex and hospitalizations during the previous months (chi(2) = 15.477; p = 0.009) and type of chronic disorder (chi(2) = 7.6; p = 0.022) and duration (in months) of the longest period of abstinence after treatment in facilities (U = 219.500; p = 0.097) by alcohol use status. The survival analysis showed that 25% of relapses happened after 4.5months of treatment; at 7.3months, 50% of the sample remained abstinent.

Originality/value - Women had used alcohol for longer since age at onset than men. Furthermore, after 7.3months of intensive therapy, 50% of alcohol-dependent patients were abstinent.