Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Effectiveness of Alcohol Addiction Treatment Among Physicians

BACKGROUND: Paradoxically, the doctor (male) addicted to alcohol is an unusual patient who is difficult and unpredictable to treat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of demographic factors on the efficacy of therapy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 44 doctors voluntarily hospitalized in the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Therapy Wolmed. Research methods were: sociodemographic questionnaire (author) evaluating 14 variables; the Describing Dependence Questionnaire (original) consisting of 17 parameters; and the 5-step drug treatment Efficacy Scale (Fichter MM., Trick U, Noeman SB).
RESULTS: On average, the physicians in this study had a mean age of 52 years, had a managerial position in health care, was a specialist, and had been abstinent from 1 to 2 years. The effectiveness of drug treatment measured during a period of abstinence from 13 to 18 months reached 45.5% of respondents. Statistical analysis with the Pearson coefficient shows that among the 14 sociodemographic parameters, only older age was positively correlated with the effectiveness of drug treatment. In this study of 44 doctors addicted to alcohol, the only sociodemographic factor significantly affecting effectiveness of therapy was older age.
CONCLUSIONS: 1. The rate of success of therapy among voluntarily hospitalized physicians in the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Therapy “Wolmed” measured during a period of abstinence from 13 to 18 months was 45.5%. 2. Statistical analysis based on 14 parameters of socio-demographics and efficacy of alcoholism therapy showed that only older age had a significant impact on the effectiveness of therapy. Other analyzed variables (13) showed no statistically significant association.

Keywords: Alcoholism, Community Health Workers