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The alcohol treatment-seeking process from a problems perspective: responses to events
1Alcohol Research Group, Institute of Epidemiology and Behavioral Medicine, Berkeley, CA 94709.
British Journal of Addiction
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Family and friends, and community institutions often failed to suggest alcohol treatment even when problematic events occurred. There was little consensus on which events warranted treatment suggestions.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Problematic events frequently precede entry into alcohol treatment programs.
- The roles of social networks and community institutions in facilitating treatment entry are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between problematic events and treatment suggestions.
- To investigate agreement between social networks and community institutions regarding treatment suggestions for specific events.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 747 individuals entering publicly funded alcohol treatment programs were interviewed.
- 1824 problematic events reported in the year prior to treatment were analyzed as the unit of analysis.
Main Results:
- Treatment was suggested for less than half of the reported problematic events.
- Little agreement existed between family/friends and community institutions on which events should trigger treatment suggestions.
- A positive association was found between reporting events as major reasons for treatment and receiving a treatment suggestion.
Conclusions:
- Social networks and community institutions play a limited and often uncoordinated role in suggesting alcohol treatment.
- Interventions may be needed to improve the recognition and suggestion of treatment following problematic events.