PREVIOUS HELP-SEEKING AND MOTIVATION TO CHANGE DRINKING BEHAVIOR IN ALCOHOL-DEPENDENT GENERAL-HOSPITAL PATIENTS

To assess the suitability of implementing secondary prevention approac hes for alcohol abuse and dependence in the general hospital, it is wo rth examining how many problem drinkers are detected in this setting f or the first time and whether these individuals are motivated to chang e their drinking behavior. In a representative general hospital sample (N = 1167), subjects were detected by a two-step diagnostic procedure including screening instruments and a diagnostic interview during a p eriod of 6 months on all medical and surgical wards. Of alcohol-depend ent patients, 38.2% had received no help in their lifetime anti 70.8% did not seek-help in the year prior to admission. According to the sta ges of change model of Prochaska and DiClemente [4] the minority (10.9 %) of subjects detected ns alcohol dependent for the first time were n ot considering changing their drinking behavior (precontemplation stag e); 84.8% were either in the contemplation or action stage. Previous h elp seeking showed no significant relationship with the stages of chan ge. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.