Efficacy of an intensive outpatient rehabilitation program in alcoholism: Predictors of outcome 6 months after treatment

Treatment of alcohol-dependent patients was primarily focused on
inpatient settings in the past decades. The efficacy of these
treatment programs has been evaluated in several studies and proven
to be sufficient. However, with regard to the increasing costs in
public healthcare systems, questions about alternative treatment
strategies have been raised. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence
that outpatient treatment might be comparably effective as
inpatient treatment, at least for subgroups of alcohol dependents.
On that background, the present study aimed to evaluate the
efficacy of a high-structured outpatient treatment program in 103
alcohol-dependent patients. 74 patients (72%) terminated the
outpatient treatment regularly. At 6 months' follow-up, 95%
patients were successfully located and personally re-interviewed.
Analyses revealed that 65 patients (64%) were abstinent at the
6-month follow-up evaluation and 37 patients ( 36%) were judged to
be non-abstinent. Pretreatment variables which were found to have a
negative impact (non-abstinence) on the 6-month outcome after
treatment were a higher severity of alcohol dependence measured by
a longer duration of alcohol dependence, a higher number of prior
treatments and a stronger alcohol craving (measured by the
Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale). Further patients with a
higher degree of psychopathology measured by the Beck Depression
Inventory (depression) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (anxiety)
relapsed more often. In summary, results of this study indicate a
favorable outcome of socially stable alcohol-dependent patients and
patients with a lower degree of depression, anxiety and craving in
an intensive outpatient rehabilitation program.