Changes in psychological symptoms during ambulant detoxification

Reports suggest a high prevalence of psychological symptomsin alcohol-dependent patients, but there are difficulties inevaluating their significance. To elucidate these relationships,the effect of withdrawal from alcohol on psychological symptomsin men and women detoxifying on an ambulant basis was examined.A prospective study of 65 patients was carried out using a standardizedinterview which included sociodemographic indices, measuresof alcohol dependence and problems. Psychological symptoms weremeasured using the General Health Questionnaire at three differenttime points. The majority of alcohol-dependent patients presentedfor treatment with co-existing psychological symptoms, but,for both men and women, these decreased rapidly after a 10-daydetoxification period. For patients who remained abstinent overthe next 6 weeks there was a further decline in psychologicalsymptoms to almost asymptomatic levels. For those who resumeddrinking, no such improvement was apparent. The clinical implicationis that treatment for what may at first appear to be an independentco-morbid disorder may not be necessary once the patient hasbeen withdrawn from alcohol and has achieved a period of abstinence.