Effect of length of stay in inpatient alcoholism treatment on outcome.

Abstract

Of 928 inpatients who completed treatment at 17 New York State [USA]-sponsored alcoholism rehabilitation units, 710 were followed up at 3 mo. and 651 at 8 mo.; length of stay varied among units, ranging from 1-3 mo. Effects of length of stay in treatment on abstinence, quantity of alcohol consumed daily and financial status at follow-up, and the interaction of patient characteristics were studied by analyses of variance. At 8 mo., significantly more patients with longer stays in treatment (60+ days) reported being abstinent during the preceding 30 days. Both the 3- and 8-mo. analyses showed an effect of length of stay on quantity of alcohol consumed per day in the 30 days before follow-up although at 8 mo. it only approached significance. Patients with long stays in treatment were drinking 1+ oz alcohol/day less than those with short stays. Length of stay had no significant effect on financial scale scores at 3 or 8 mo. Of 9 patient characteristics, only social stability interacted with length of stay. Among patients with low social stability daily consumption decreased as length of stay increased, but there was no effect among patients with high social stability. An increased chance of abstinence was associated with longer stay among patients of both high and low social stability, though the benefits were marginally greater among the low.