TITLE:
Factors associated with relapse and remission of alcohol dependent persons after community based treatment
AUTHORS:
Mary Wangari Kuria
KEYWORDS:
Alcohol Dependence; Remission; Relapse; Kenya
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.3 No.2,
April
30,
2013
ABSTRACT: Knowledge
of factors associated with relapse and remission after treatment for alcohol
dependence enables the clinician to offer better individualized treatment.
It also enables the clinician to predict which patients are likely to relapse
and therefore offer appropriate and effective treatment to prevent relapse.
Objective: This study sought to determine the factors associated with remission and relapse in a group of
alcohol dependent persons undergoing Community Based Detoxification and
Rehabilitation of alcohol dependent persons. Method: One hundred and eighty
eight (188) persons with Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)
positive were subjected to outpatient detoxification for 10 days using a pair
of ampoules of high potency Vitamin B and C intravenously daily for 3 consecutive
days, diazepam 5 mg and carbamazepine 200 mg for 5 and 10 consecutive nights
respectively on an outpatient basis. The participants were visited twice a
week (at home) by the community based health workers and reviewed once a week
by the principal investigator and attended a bimonthly group therapy session
conducted in groups of 20 s as part of the rehabilitation process. The groups
were converted to self-help groups after 4 months to generate income for the
participants. Results: Factors significantly associated with relapse to alcohol
use included severity of alcohol use and craving for alcohol at intake and
the age of onset of alcohol drinking. Further there was a statistically significant predictive value in the mean score of alcohol related problems in the
community based group (health, social, financial and legal). Conclusion: Identifying
factors that are associated with relapse after alcohol dependence treatment is
likely to improve the effectiveness of treatment and prevent relapse in persons
at risk.