Serbian and Austrian alcohol-dependent patients: A comparison of two samples regarding therapeutically relevant clinical features

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Abstract

Aims: To support the Serbian Expert Board in setting up reimbursement for modern pharmacotherapeutic support, we compared a Serbian sample of alcohol-dependent patients with an Austrian sample, in order to detect differences that might inhibit the introduction of anti-craving medications in Serbia. Methods: One hundred and twenty-seven (116 males) alcohol-dependent patients in Serbia and 136 in Austria (78 males) were enrolled consecutively from January 2011 to March 2012 and wereassessed using the Lesch alcoholism typology instrument (LAT). Results: Age of onset was slightly higher in the Austrian sample (28.5 vs 30.0; P = 0.10). The Serbian sample showed a higher rate ofanxiety disorders than the Austrian sample (89.8 vs 26.5%, P ≤ 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies, independent of alcohol intake or withdrawal syndrome, were higher in the Austrian sample (1.6 vs 13.2% P ≤ 0.0001). There was no difference between the two samples in Lesch-Type IV (26 vs 28); there was a slight excess in the Serbian sample of Type I (15 vs 10). In Austria, significantly more Type II patients (32 vs 52) had been included, while the Serbian sample comprised significantly more Type III patients. Conclusions: Austrian and Serbian patients are quite similar, without any showingany factor that would detract from the potential value of modern anti-craving medications in Serbia. The differences in anxiety disorders might be due to the 1990s war and should be investigated further. © The Author 2013. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

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Jakovljevic, M., Riegler, A., Jovanovic, M., Djordjevic, N., Patek, K., Lesch, O., & Walter, H. (2013). Serbian and Austrian alcohol-dependent patients: A comparison of two samples regarding therapeutically relevant clinical features. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 48(4), 505–508. https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agt011

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