The British Journal of Psychiatry 138: 312-320 (1981)
© 1981 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Comparison of clients assigned to in-patient and out-patient treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction

HA Skinner

This study examined characteristics of 296 alcohol and/or drug abuse clients assigned to either (1) in-patient programmes, (2) out-patient programmers, or (3) a lower cost primary care alternative. Multivariate analysis indicated that clients admitted for in-patient care reported greater alcohol consumption and associated problems, fewer community supports and more severe symptoms such as depression and anxiety. They tended to be more frank about their problems while defence mechanisms were more apparent in clients admitted to out-patient and primary care programmers. In general, out-patients ahd more favourable prognostic indicators, such as higher social stability and lower level of alcoholic involvement. The differences among treatment programmers were along quantitative dimensions of problem severity. In particular, the alcohol dependence syndrome was a major discriminating dimension.