Motivation to change drinking behavior: the differences between alcohol users from an outpatient gastroenterology clinic and a specialist alcohol treatment service

Abstract

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: For some patients who have developed significant alcohol-related physical disease, total abstinence from alcohol may offer the best chance of survival. The aim of this study was to investigate motivation for treatment in two groups of alcohol users: outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic and outpatients from the specialist alcohol treatment service. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study, at a federally funded public teaching hospital. METHODS: The sample studied was 151 outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic and 175 from the specialist alcohol treatment service. The interview was conducted in the outpatient clinics at the first appointment, and consisted of demographic questions and scales for measuring quality of life, alcohol dependence, pattern of alcohol, motivation for treatment and consequences of alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The results suggested that outpatients from the gastroenterology clinic were less dependent on alcohol, had suffered fewer consequences from alcohol and had fewer emotional and mental health problems than did the outpatients from the alcohol treatment service. In relation to their stages of change, the gastroenterology outpatients presented high precontemplation scores at the beginning of treatment while outpatients of alcohol treatment service showed higher scores in contemplation, action and maintenance. CONCLUSION: The medical treatment may be a reason for the temporary alcohol abstinence behavior among the gastroenterology outpatients.

Factors influencing readiness to change in patients with alcoholic liver disease: A cross‐sectional study

“…Many of them (61%) had tried to quit by themselves but failed after several tries and none of them had been referred for specialist treatment services or self‐help groups. Similarly reported in previous studies, the majority of adults with alcohol problems did not pursue help from either self‐help groups or specialist treatment services (Figlie et al, 2005; Blanco et al, 2015). Alcohol use disorder can occur more than 10 years before the referral of a patient for specialist treatment (Addolorato et al, 2013; Thursz et al, 2018).…”

“…Although no previous study has been especially focused on RC in patients with ALD, similar findings have been reported in adults with alcohol use disorders. In a cross‐sectional study, Figlie et al (2005) investigated RC of 151 gastroenterology outpatients with a positive score on AUDIT (score ≥ 8). They reported a mean score of 30.21 ( SD = 7.03) on combining recognition and ambivalence and 26.89 ( SD = 4.12) on taking steps in.…”

Motivation to change in eating disorders: clinical and therapeutic implications

“…In this sense, several studies have assessed motivation to change in individuals with specific disorders or nonadaptive behaviours such as smoking (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992;Prochaska, Velicer, DiClemente, et al, 1988), cocaine dependence (Levin, Brooks, Bisaga, et al, 2006;Rohsenow, Monti, Martin, et al, 2004), anxiety disorders (Nickel, Tritt, Kettler, et al, 2005;Westra, 2004), obesity (Dalle Grave, Melchionda, Calugi, et al, 2005;Doyle, Siegel, & Supe, 2006;Waldrop, 2006) and alcohol problems (Figlie, Dunn, Gomes, et al, 2005;Shields & Hufford, 2005).…”

A systematic review of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change and alcohol use

“…Specifically, the study of Chang, McNamara, Wilkins-Haug and Orav (2007) investigated pregnant users of alcohol; Share, Mark, McCrady and Epstein ( 2004) evaluated women in stable relationships in outpatient treatment for use of alcohol. Three other studies evaluated specific samples, such as drivers relapse in traffic problems due to alcohol use (Freeman et al, 2005); war veterans who were alcohol abusers or dependent (Copeland, Blow, & Barry, 2003); and alcoholics divided into two groups: one in outpatient treatment specifically for alcohol, and the other for gastroenterological problems (Figlie et al, 2005).The instruments used to measure the use of alcohol and TTM related variables are listed in Tables 2 and 3. Regarding the measurement of alcohol use, we found a widespread use of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) (Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, & Monteiro, 2003) and Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) Interview (Sobell & Sobell, 1992), both used in seven papers.…”