Alcohol problem drinking among general hospital inpatients in northeastern Germany

OBJECTIVE: To estimate proportions of alcohol problem drinking: alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and drinking above recommended levels among general hospital inpatients in northeastern Germany. METHOD: The sample includes consecutively admitted inpatients (n=14,332) between 18 and 64 years old. This study adopted a two-stage-sampling approach including screening and ascertainment of diagnosis based on DSM-IV criteria and a quantity-frequency index. RESULTS: In total, 20.4% of all inpatients screened positive. Nine percent of the total sample were identified with current problem drinking in the following descending order: 5.3% AUD and 3.6% drinking above recommended levels. In addition, 3.1% of persons were diagnosed with alcohol dependence in remission. Proportions differed significantly among men and women (P<.001). Higher proportions of problem drinking were found at rural sites compared to urban sites (13.7% vs. 7.5%, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to AUDs, drinking above recommended levels is a common problem among general hospital inpatients. Thus, the implementation of systematic alcohol screening and brief interventions should be considered.