@article{ref1,
title="Reducing Dropout among Traumatized Alcohol Patients in Detoxification Treatment: A Pilot Intervention Study",
journal="European addiction research",
year="2011",
author="Odenwald, Michael and Semrau, Peter",
volume="18",
number="2",
pages="54-63",
abstract="Dropout rates from detoxification treatment are high. We tested whether high trauma event load was related to a higher dropout from alcohol detoxification. Furthermore, we studied the feasibility and effects of a short psychoeducational tool to increase retention among traumatized alcohol in-patients. Retention and treatment length were compared between treatment as usual (TAU) and standard therapy plus a psychoeducational group intervention on alcohol drinking related to stress and trauma (PAST). Patients with high trauma load were identified with the Trauma History Questionnaire. Of the 159 in-patients treated during the study period, 66 were included in the analysis: 33 in TAU and 33 in PAST. Sociodemographic characteristics did not differ between the groups. During TAU, patients with high trauma load tended to drop out more often (p = 0.056). Among patients with high trauma load, retention level increased from 29 to 80% (p = 0.006), and among those with low trauma load from 63 to 83% (p = 0.250). Treatment length only tendentially improved among patients with lower burden (p = 0.056). The pilot study supports the idea that detoxification treatment dropout occurs more often among alcohol patients with high trauma load and that their retention can be increased by a psychoeducational group intervention.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1022-6877",
doi="10.1159/000333336",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000333336"
}