Citation

Caspari D, Kyprianou C. Sucht 1997; 43(6): 384-392.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present investigation analyzes the relations between stress coping strategies, personality variables, other patient characteristics and the outcome of a long-term inpatient treatment for alcoholism. Therefore 131 consecutively admitted patients with a primary diagnosis of alcoholism were divided in two groups according to their mode of discharge (regular termination of therapy versus dropping out of treatment) and compared concerning psychological and sociodemographic data. The results show that - for coping strategies - there were no differences between the patients who terminated therapy regularly and those who dropped out of treatment neither at the beginning nor at the end of the long-term therapy. Only one scale (>>reactive aggressiveness, striving for dominance<<) of the >>Freiburger Personlichkeitsinventar<< (Fahrenberg, Selg and Hampel, 1978) differed significantly between the two groups. In the course of treatment both groups of patients revealed therapeutic changes in many variables. Discriminant analysis showed that especially sociodemographic and anamnestic factors were of importance with regard to therapy outcome. Dropouts were younger than patients who terminated treatment regularly. Moreover, they had committed suicidal attempts more often. Patients with regular termination of therapy were employed to a greater percentage and showed a higher prevalence of substance abuse in their relatives.

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