Individuals with excessive alcohol intake recruited by advertisement: demographic and clinical characteristics

• Aims: Studies have shown that most individuals with alcohol-problems have never received any treatment for their alcoholism. The purpose of the present study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics in male individuals with excessive alcohol intake who were recruited by advertisements. These characteristics were compared between individuals with or without prior treatment histories. Methods: Subjects (n = 367) responded to the advertisements in a regional daily newspaper and called the investigators. A structured interview was performed and a complete dataset of demographic and clinical information was collected in 342 individuals. Results: Individuals with no prior treatment history (n = 238) were found to be more often cohabitant, employed, and they reported fewer on-going psychiatric symptoms than individuals with treatment histories (n = 104). Conclusion: Since individuals with no prior treatment history seldom experience psychiatric symptoms, they are probably less likely to seek treatment in the health care system. It is therefore of importance to find ways to early reach this hidden group with excessive alcohol consumption. One way to do so might be via alcohol treatment programs at working places since the majority of them are employed

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

excessive alcohol intake

clinical characteristics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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