Faculty Collaboration Database

The relative contributions of medication adherence and AA meeting attendance to abstinent outcome for chronic alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol 1993 Jan;54(1):115-9

Date

01/01/1993

Pubmed ID

8394956

DOI

10.15288/jsa.1993.54.115

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0027530166 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   26 Citations

Abstract

Our preliminary studies of the efficacy of lithium carbonate therapy for alcoholism under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions demonstrated that alcoholics who took their assigned medication (lithium or placebo) for the first 6 months after discharge from an inpatient rehabilitation program were more likely to abstain from any alcohol use for 18 months following discharge than were alcoholics who took their medication erratically or not at all. Attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings was also associated with medication adherence. We applied a structural equation model to data on the relationships between medication adherence, AA meeting attendance and abstinent outcome to clarify whether medication adherence or AA meeting attendance better explains the positive-outcome "adherence effect" we observed. Both medication adherence and AA meeting attendance evidenced direct and independent influences on abstinent outcome: medication adherence showed a small direct influence, and AA meeting attendance showed a much larger, independent influence.

Author List

Pisani VD, Fawcett J, Clark DC, McGuire M

Author

David C. Clark PhD Assistant Dean, Professor in the Research Office department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholism
Combined Modality Therapy
Double-Blind Method
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lithium Carbonate
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Compliance
Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
Temperance