Motivation to change drinking behavior: comparison of alcohol-dependent individuals in a general hospital and a general population sample.

The general hospital would be especially suited to initiate interventions if hospitalized alcohol-dependent individuals were particularly motivated to change their drinking behavior. This study compares the readiness to change of alcohol-dependent persons in the general hospital and the general population. Stages of change according to the model of Prochaska and DiClemente [6] are assessed using the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ) in two representative samples: 118 alcohol-dependent subjects admitted to a general hospital (sample 1) and 50 alcohol-dependent individuals in the general population (sample 2). In sample 1, alcohol-dependent persons were identified in 1167 consecutive admissions using screening questionnaires and a diagnostic interview (SCAN). In sample 2, alcohol dependence was assessed in 4075 individuals using a German version of CIDI. The distribution of stages of change differed significantly (p < 0.0001) between the groups, revealing a shift towards higher stages in the hospital subjects. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the stages of readiness to change and age contributed in predicting whether subjects belonged to the general hospital or the general population sample. Findings suggest that the general hospital is a suitable site to initiate interventions for alcohol-dependent individuals.