Consumption of care among problem drinkers in a small industrial town in Sweden

A study of visits to general practitioners, district nurses, occupational health doctors, social services and inpatient care during one year was conducted for all 282 male and 30 female problem drinkers identified from various registers in a Swedish industrial town. The 4.5% male problem drinkers aged 20 to 79 years accounted for 13.8% of visits to general practitioners, 15.3% of stays in somatic departments, 74.1% of stays in psychiatric care, and over 50% of visits to the social services by males in those ages. Care consumption by the problem drinkers was for both sexes highest among young people. Data about alcohol problems at any time could be found in 42% of the records for male problem drinkers, while 21% were given a diagnosis of alcoholism by their general practitioner. The problem drinkers were given a great variety of diagnoses. The results emphasize that all patients should be asked about alcohol habits and that education and programmes for prevention and treatment should be organized by primary care together with other relevant parties.