Factors affecting the short‐term prognosis of alcohol dependent patients undergoing inpatient detoxification

Abstract

Stable measures of psychological functioning require a considerable period of abstinence. However, the duration of inpatient detoxification programs has decreased dramatically in most health care systems, posing a novel challenge for clinical evaluation of patients. The present study was carried out to examine whether factors predicting short‐term prognosis can be identified in alcohol dependent subjects during early stages of inpatient detoxification. Self‐reports of mood states were obtained, and executive cognitive functioning was examined. Outcome was studied at 2–3 months. No correlation was found between self‐reported symptoms of depression, hopelessness, and anxiety, and percentage of nondrinking days. A significant positive correlation was found between Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance and short‐term prognosis measured by this parameter. Thus, in addition to transient withdrawal‐related effects, impairments of WCST performance in early stages of alcohol detoxification may reflect more long standing deficits in problem‐solving strategies, of possible relevance for matching patients to treatment services.

Key words:

• alcohol dependency
• mood states
• motivation
• cognitive functioning
• WCST

Notes

Addiction Centre South, Huddinge University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.

To whom correspondence should be addressed at Addiction Centre South, Huddinge University Hospital, S‐141 86 Huddinge, Sweden; e‐mail: [email protected].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Wicks

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