Abstract
This study analyses variables as predictors for both positive outcomes and dropout in undergoing inpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Retrospective in nature, it analyses patient treatment evaluations spanning a 25-year timeframe with a 5-year follow-up on positive outcomes. The sample consists of 820 inpatients who underwent AUD treatment. A set of 30 grouped variables was applied: socio-demographic data, clinical characteristics and therapy characteristics. Seventy-one percent successfully completed treatment. Six variables were defined as predictors of treatment outcome: education-level attained, employment, duration of alcohol dependence, abstinence upon admission to hospital, sponsor presence and use of disulfiram in treatment. The presence of sponsors and disulfiram in treatment are all net positives to successful treatment outcomes. Moreover, patients who have not achieved a minimum secondary school education are unemployed or at the onset of their alcohol addiction may require particular attention due to their higher risk of dropping out.
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The authors wish to acknowledge the input of Timothy Johnston in the composition and editing of the text for publication.
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Owing to its nature as a retrospective study, the study strictly adheres to the recommendations on the privacy of participants and was also approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Mental Health and the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine (Belgrade University, Serbia).
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Mladenovic, I., Perunicic-Mladenovic, I. & Dimitrijević, I. Clinical and Background Risk Factors Affecting Dropouts from Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment: a 25-Year Retrospective Study. Int J Ment Health Addiction (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01196-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01196-7