Motivation to change risky drinking and motivation to seek help for alcohol risk drinking among general hospital inpatients with problem drinking and alcohol-related diseases

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze motivation to change drinking behavior and motivation to seek help in general hospital inpatients with problem drinking and alcohol-related diseases.

Method: The sample consisted of 294 general hospital inpatients aged 18-64 years. Inpatients with alcohol-attributable disease were classified according to its alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF; AAF=1, AAF<1 and AAF=0). Baseline differences in alcohol-related variables, demographics and motivation between the AAF groups were analyzed. Furthermore, differences in motivation to change, in motivation to seek help and in the amount of alcohol consumed from baseline to follow-up between the AAF groups were evaluated.

Results: During hospital stay, motivation to change was higher among inpatients with alcohol-attributable diseases than among inpatients who had no alcohol-attributable diseases [F(2)=18.40, P<.001]. Motivation to seek help was higher among inpatients with AAF=1 than among inpatients with AAF<1 and AAF=0 [F(2)=21.66, P<.001]. While motivation to change drinking behavior remained stable within 12 months of hospitalization, motivation to seek help decreased. The amount of alcohol consumed decreased in all three AAF groups.

Conclusions: Data suggest that hospital stay seems to be a "teachable moment." Screening for problem drinking and motivation differentiated by AAFs might be a tool for early intervention.