Clinical and Background Risk Factors Affecting Dropouts from Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment: a 25-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

This study analyses variables as predictors for both positive outcomes and dropout in undergoing inpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Retrospective in nature, it analyses patient treatment evaluations spanning a 25-year timeframe with a 5-year follow-up on positive outcomes. The sample consists of 820 inpatients who underwent AUD treatment. A set of 30 grouped variables was applied: socio-demographic data, clinical characteristics and therapy characteristics. Seventy-one percent successfully completed treatment. Six variables were defined as predictors of treatment outcome: education-level attained, employment, duration of alcohol dependence, abstinence upon admission to hospital, sponsor presence and use of disulfiram in treatment. The presence of sponsors and disulfiram in treatment are all net positives to successful treatment outcomes. Moreover, patients who have not achieved a minimum secondary school education are unemployed or at the onset of their alcohol addiction may require particular attention due to their higher risk of dropping out. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.