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Treatment outcome for impoverished alcoholics in an abstinence-based program
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine 60616-7327, USA.
The International Journal of the Addictions
|May 1, 1995
Summary
This study found that unemployed, Black, and unmarried individuals with alcoholism achieved positive outcomes with abstinence-based addiction treatment. Contrary to assumptions, negative patient characteristics did not predict unfavorable treatment results.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Abstinence-based addiction treatment outcomes are often linked to positive patient characteristics.
- Previous studies predominantly focused on employed, White, and married populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence-based treatment in a population with traditionally negative patient characteristics.
- To challenge the assumption that specific demographic factors predict treatment success in alcoholism.
Main Methods:
- A treatment outcome study was conducted on unemployed, Black, and unmarried individuals undergoing abstinence-based addiction treatment.
- Patient characteristics and treatment outcomes were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The study population, characterized by unemployment, Black ethnicity, and unmarried status, did not experience unfavorable outcomes.
- Negative patient characteristics did not correlate with poorer treatment results compared to studies with positive characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Abstinence-based addiction treatment can be effective regardless of patient demographic characteristics.
- Treatment outcomes for alcoholism are not solely determined by factors like employment, race, or marital status.