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Alcohol relapses associated with September 11, 2001: a case report
William H Zywiak1, Robert L Stout, Winston B Trefry
1Decision Sciences Institute, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. zywiak@pire.org
Substance Abuse
|May 27, 2003
Summary
The September 11th terrorist attacks significantly increased relapse rates in individuals recovering from alcohol detoxification. Case monitoring may help mitigate these trauma-induced relapse risks.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Trauma Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Individuals in alcohol recovery are vulnerable to relapse.
- Traumatic events can disrupt recovery efforts.
- Case monitoring is a support system designed to prevent relapse.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively examine the impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks on alcohol relapse rates.
- To assess the effectiveness of case monitoring in mitigating trauma-related relapse.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study of clients in alcohol detoxification enrolled in a case monitoring program before September 11, 2001.
- Analysis of relapse rates between pre- and post-9/11 telephone contacts.
- Comparison with data from another study to rule out seasonal effects.
Main Results:
- None of the clients relapsed before September 11, 2001.
- 42% of clients relapsed by their first post-9/11 contact.
- Results counter the hypothesis that seasonal effects influenced the findings.
Conclusions:
- Terrorist events, like 9-11, may increase the likelihood of relapse in individuals undergoing alcohol recovery.
- Public education and outreach may help ameliorate the negative effects of trauma on recovery.