MORTALITY OF TREATED ALCOHOLICS AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN RELATION TO SHORT-TERM OUTCOME

This study concerns the relation between mortality and the short-termoutcome of inpatient treatment for alcoholism. A total of 121patients (87 men, 34 women) were included, of whom 89 were voluntaryand 32 compulsorily committed. They had a mean age of 41±7(SD) years and attended a 5-week programme at Runnagården,Örebro, Sweden. Most patients were socially unstable andseverely alcohol-dependent. Ten months (mean) after discharge,96% of the patients and their referring social workers werecontacted with mail questionnaires. Of these patients, 13% hadbeen totally abstinent and a further 42% improved but had hadrelapses. After a mean of 8.5±0.27 years, 27 patients(24%) had died. All abstainers survived, but non-abstainershad nine-fold higher mortality than expected. Non-abstinentimproved women tended to survive longer than non-improved women,but among non-abstinent improved men no such tendency was found.In conclusion, a reduction in the frequency and quantity ofabusive drinking was not enough to reduce the higher risk ofdeath. Only abstinence seemed to be preventive.