Differences in help seeking rates after brief intervention for alcohol use disorders in general practice patients with and without comorbid anxiety or depressive disorders
✍ Scribed by Janina M. Grothues; Gallus Bischof; Susa Reinhardt; Christian Meyer; Ulrich John; Hans-Jürgen Rumpf
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2008
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 79 KB
- Volume
- 17
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1049-8931
- DOI
- 10.1002/mpr.253
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Aims: To examine, if the utilization of help for problematic drinking after brief intervention (BI) differs between general practice (GP) patients with and without comorbid depression or anxiety disorders. Methods: Longitudinal data of 374 GP patients, who met the diagnostic criteria of alcohol dependence or abuse according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) and criteria of at-risk drinking or binge drinking, were drawn from a randomized controlled BI study. Participants were randomly allocated to either a control or one of two intervention groups, receiving a series of alcohol related BI. Of the sample, 88 participants were diagnosed with comorbid anxiety and/or depressive disorders. At 12-months follow-up, differences in utilization of formal help for drinking problems were assessed between comorbid and non-comorbid individuals. Results: BI were signifi cantly related to an increase in utilization of formal help in non-comorbid patients (χ 2 = 4.54; df = 1; p < 0.05) but not in comorbid individuals (χ 2 = 0.40; df = 1; p = 0.60). In a logistic regression analysis, comorbidity [odds ratio (OR) = 1.81; 95% confi dence interval (CI) = 1.14-2.88; p = 0.01) and previous help seeking (OR = 15.98;; p < 0.001) were found to be positive predictors for utilization of formal help. Conclusion: BIs do not seem to signifi cantly support help-seeking in the comorbid. As comorbid anxiety and depression constitute a positive predictor for help-seeking, individuals with problematic drinking and comorbid anxiety or depressive disorders might benefi t from more specialized support exceeding the low level of BI.