Efficacy of a Three- Versus a Five-Week Alcohol Treatment Program

Abstract

Eighty-six male alcoholic inpatients were randomly assigned to comparable 3- or 5-week treatment progrrams. Psychometric testing at the beginning and the end of treatment was supplemented by follow-up data 6 months after discharge. While both the 3- and 5-week groups demonstrated significant improvement on both MMPI and follow-up data, few differences between the groups were revealed. The comparable results obtained offer little justification for prolonging inpatient treatment beyond 3 weeks. It is suggested that the inpatient phase of alcohol treatment be brief and oriented to developing a well-structured extended outpatient program.

Length of stay, neuropsychological performance, and aftercare: Influences on alcohol-treatment outcome.

“…When accompanied by outpatient aftercare therapy, it appears that length of hospitalization may be shortened for many patients without appreciably reducing treatment efficacy. This finding is consistent with several other studies involving random assignment (Mosher et al, 1975;Page & Schaub, 1979;Stein et al, 1975;Willems et al, 1973). In addition, significantly more subjects assigned to the 7week program dropped out of inpatient treatment.…”

“…A number of randomized experimental studies have generally found no differences at outcome associated with length of stay (Mosher, Davis, Mulligan, & Iber, 1975;Page & Schaub, 1979;Stein, Newton, & Bowman, 1975). After their treatment program was administratively shortened from 84 days to 60 days, Kish, Ellsworth, and Woody (1980) found that at 6-month follow-up a higher percentage of patients in the shorter program reported drinking since discharge.…”

In‐patient setting and long duration for the treatment of alcohol dependence? Out‐patient care is as good

“…Page & Schaub [19] reported another study that examined the impact of longer intervention. They randomly assigned 86 alcoholics to either a 5-week or a 3-week in-patient programme.…”

Adolescent Substance Use Treatment: The Moderating Effects of Psychopathology on Treatment Outcomes

“…In some cases, a longer LOS is promoted as a significant factor in maintaining abstinence, 13 with an increased likelihood of abstinence in addition to other functional outcomes including less legal involvement, employment increases, and improvement in comorbid disorders. 22 Other research has determined that LOS does not influence the maintenance of abstinence, 23 while longer term follow-ups indicate that the difference in abstinence rates due to LOS dissipates over time. 12 There is also evidence to support the hypothesis that LOS may differentially impact abstinence versus engagement in other recovery activities, with increased abstinence rates yet no difference on other outcomes, including overall functioning post-treatment.…”