Why Do People Enter Specialty Treatment For Alcohol Problems?

Understanding the reasons some people with alcohol dependence enter treatment might help others who do not enter treatment. British researchers explored these reasons through open-discussion and semi-structured interviews with 98 subjects who entered specialty alcohol treatment (as part of a clinical trial) with alcohol use as their primary substance problem. Data was collected and analyzed according to grounded theory principles (annotating interview reports to encapsulate meaning, grouping annotations into themes, and using early analysis to inform later stages of data collection).

• People sought and entered treatment mainly because they recognized that problems in many areas of their lives were accumulating and worsening as a result of their drinking.
• In most cases, they also felt pressure from a family member, primary healthcare professional, or the legal system and/or experienced a “trigger event” (e.g., acute physical problem, liver enzyme test result, new family responsibility like children, risk of losing relationships).

Comments:

The authors recognized the main limitation of this study—possible lack of generalizability because of its sample of British patients seeking treatment and entering a clinical trial. Nonetheless, the identified reasons for entering treatment are familiar: change occurs when a trigger coincides with growing problems recognized as alcohol related. These findings should remind clinicians of their important role in helping with problem recognition and influencing treatment entry.

Richard Saitz, MD, MPH

Reference:

Orford J, Kerr C, Copello A, et al.Why people enter treatment for alcohol problems: findings from the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial pre-treatment interviews. J Substance Use. 2006;11(3):161–176.