1. Alcohol use outcomes and heavy drinking at 4–5 years among a treatment sample of drug misusers
- Author
-
Gossop, Michael, Browne, Nadine, Stewart, Duncan, and Marsden, John
- Subjects
- *
ALCOHOL drinking , *ALCOHOLISM , *SUBSTANCE abuse treatment , *OPIOID abuse , *OPIOIDS , *REHABILITATION of people with alcoholism , *OUTPATIENT medical care , *COMPARATIVE studies , *LONGITUDINAL method , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *RESEARCH , *SUBSTANCE abuse , *COMORBIDITY , *TREATMENT programs , *EVALUATION research , *TREATMENT effectiveness - Abstract
This paper investigates alcohol outcomes and heavy drinking among 418 drug misusers from the National Treatment Outcome Research Study who completed followup interviews at 1, 2, and 4–5 years. About a quarter of the sample were drinking heavily at intake. Alcohol consumption at followup was predicted by drinking prior to intake, and about a quarter of those who were classified as alcohol abstainers, medium-level drinkers, or heavy drinkers at intake, remained in the same drinking category at all assessment points. Drinking outcomes were not related to opioid use. Heavy drinkers at followup were more likely to be using non-opioid drugs. The poor drinking outcomes are a matter for concern. Drug misusers with concurrent alcohol problems may require special treatment provision. The extent of heavy drinking among drug misusers both before and after treatment indicates a need to develop and strengthen programs and interventions to tackle alcohol-related problems in this patient group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF