Alcohol dependence syndrome and Before-Discharge Intervention Method (BDIM)--No. 5. Patients' evaluation of BDIM by questionnaire survey]

One (A.I) of the authors has developed BDIM (Before-Discharge Intervention Method) for the purpose of making alcoholics aware of their drinking problems. 153 patients were treated by BDIM. After the practiced BDIM, the patients underwent a 52 month observational period. 82 patients (53.6%) continued with either treatment as outpatient or inpatients, or attendance of a self-help group. We administered these 82 patients our questionnaire that asked for their assessment about the therapeutic effects of BDIM. 76 patients (49.7%) completed our questionnaire. Regarding the impression of family members' letters in BDIM, 70 patients (92.1% of 76) answered that the letter have had a positive impression on them. 52 patients (68.4% of 76) answered that they have had very strong or strong impressions. The numbers of patients who have [very strong or strong] impression are significantly more in the abstinence group than in the drinking group. Also, we asked patients about which messages of spouses, daughters and sons in BDIM gave the strongest impression to these patients. The result showed that their daughter gave the strongest impression to many patients. We believe that their children, especially the patients' daughter's messages, have therapeutic effects as impact messages even though alcoholics have cognitive or memory disorder. Patients positively assessed that BDIM strengthened motivation for treatment or attendance of self-help group meetings, for abstinence and for the consequence to their lives. Many patients assessed that BDIM has effect on awareness of their drinking problems. But the ratio of positive answers about motivation of awareness of drinking problem is smaller than the ratio of positive answers about other questions. As a result, we surmised that BDIM will have the effect of empowerment, including the effect of awareness.