Effect of Psychoeducation on Motivation to Change in Traumatized Alcoholics

NCT ID: NCT01323738

Last Updated: 2011-03-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2010-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2010-03-31

Brief Summary

Many people suffering from alcohol dependence have a history of exposure to stressful life situations, such as childhood physical or emotional misuse. Often, there's a functional relationship between drinking and emotional problems related to past traumatic experiences, i.e. drinking to forget. However, alcohol treatment often does not include interventions to support patients to cope better with past life experiences. On the other hand, most alcoholics are poorly motivated to participate in long-term rehabilitative treatments after detoxification. In the proposed study, the investigators will study the effects of a brief psycho-educational group intervention during detoxification treatment on motivation to change and the willingness to accept further treatment.

The investigators will use a group comparison design (intervention versus "TAS" control group). In month 1, patients take part in Treatment as Usual (TAS), including a unspecific information group. In month 2, the information group is replaced by the psychoeducational group (intervention). Ward staff selects patients for the groups, irrespective of intervention or TAS. Selection criteria are: absence of severe withdrawal and cognitive impairment. Absence of severe co-morbid psychiatric disorder (e.g. schizophrenia or suicidal crisis). The group sessions will take place in groups of up to 15 patients and will include 4 structured sessions (45 min each). Main content if the intervention group is to highlight and discuss the association between stress, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and drinking. Patients will also be informed about the different treatment options available in the region.

At entry, patients are asked to fill in the German versions of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA; McConnaughy, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1983; German: Heidenreich, Hoyer & Fecht; 2001) and the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ; Green, 1996; German: Maercker, 2002). At discharge, patients are asked to fill in the URICA.

The investigators expect that specific information on the association between stress and drinking will increase the patients' motivation to participate in further treatment.

Conditions

Alcoholic Intoxication, Chronic

Keywords

Psychoeducation; Group Control

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Treatment as Ususal

Patients participate in the Treatment as Usual including a non-specific information group.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Psychoeducation

Intervention group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Psychoeducation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducation group on stress and how it relates to alcohol use, 4 sessions a 45 minutes

Interventions

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation group on stress and how it relates to alcohol use, 4 sessions a 45 minutes

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

The manualized group intervention we developed for this study recently was named TARGET,; which reads as "Trauma- and Alcohol-Related Group Education and motivation Therapy"

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Alcohol Dependence
• Regular admission to detoxification unit

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe withdrawal
• Severe cognitive impairment
• Severe comorbid psychiatric conditions (schizophrenia, suicidal crisis)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Konstanz

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

University of Konstanz

Principal Investigators

Michael Odenwald, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Konstanz

Locations

Center for Psychiatry Reichenau

Reichenau, , Germany

Countries

Germany

Other Identifiers

UKonstanzMOdenwald2009-1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id