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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Intention to utilize formal help in a sample with alcohol problems: A prospective study

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Volume 87, Issues 2-3 , 16 March 2007, Pages 210-216

Intention to utilize formal help in a sample with alcohol problems: A prospective study


Jennis Freyer a, , , mailto:freyer@uni-greifswald.de
Beate Coder a,
Gallus Bischof b,
Sebastian E. Baumeister a,
Hans-Jürgen Rumpf b,
Ulrich John a and
Ulfert Hapke a

a Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 48, 17487 Greifswald, Germany

bUniversity of Lübeck, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Germany

Received 30 March 2006; revised 18 August 2006; accepted 18 August 2006. Available online 18 September 2006.


Abstract

Background
Studies investigating factors of treatment entry have predominantly focused on persons that have already taken an initial step in the process of help-seeking. With particular emphasis on intention to utilize help, this study aims to detect predictors for alcohol-related help-seeking among a non-help-utilizing sample.

Methods
Using 312 individuals with diverse alcohol problems (dependence, abuse, at-risk drinking), intention to utilize help was assessed in addition to evidence based predictors for utilization of help (e.g. severity of alcohol problem, prior help-seeking).

Results
In addition to prior utilization of help (OR = 9.76, CI: 4.60–20.74) and adverse consequences from drinking (OR = 1.13, CI: 1.02–1.25), intention to utilize help (OR = 4.84, CI: 2.04–11.51) was a central predictor for help-seeking. Among individuals who had not obtained prior help, individuals intending to seek help were 8.7 times more likely to utilize help than those not intending to seek help (CI: 1.05–72.2).

Conclusions
In the past, intention to utilize help has been neglected from models investigating treatment entry. This study's findings show that intention is a central factor for utilization of alcohol-specific formal help. Consequently, brief interventions focusing on enhancing motivation are expected to improve early help-seeking among general hospital patients with diverse alcohol problems.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 3834 867724; fax: +49 3834 867701.
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