Individuals with excessive alcohol intake recruited by advertisement: Demographic and clinical characteristics

Abstract

Aims: Studies have shown that most individuals with alcohol problems have never received any treatment for their alcoholism. The purpose of the present study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics in male individuals with excessive alcohol intake who were recruited by advertisements. These characteristics were compared between individuals with or without prior treatment histories. Methods: Subjects (n = 367) responded to the advertisements in a regional daily newspaper and called the investigators. A structured interview was performed and a complete dataset of demographic and clinical information was collected in 342 individuals. Results: Individuals with no prior treatment history (n = 238) were found to be more often cohabitant, employed, and they reported fewer on-going psychiatric symptoms than individuals with treatment histories (n = 104). Conclusion: Since individuals with no prior treatment history seldom experience psychiatric symptoms, they are less likely to seek treatment in the health care system. It is therefore of importance to find ways to reach this 'hidden' group early with excessive alcohol consumption. One way to do so might be via alcohol treatment programs at working places since the majority of them are employed. © 2006 Oxford University Press.