A prospective study of the factors influencing entry to alcohol and drug treatment.

Much is known about factors related to entering alcohol and drug treatment, but most research comprises cross-sectional "snapshots" in time. It is not known whether the reasons for entering treatment endure when problem drinkers are studied over time. This study contracts characteristics predicting treatment entry in a cross-sectional analysis at baseline with a longitudinal perspective at 1- and 3-year follow-up interviews. Sociodemographic characteristics were less important in the longitudinal analysis. In contrast to the social consequences important at the baseline interview, physiologic symptoms of alcohol dependence and interventions by medical professionals were prominent at later interview points. The findings have implications for interventions by health professionals, both for the development of early interventions targeting individuals to treatment and for a continuing care service model.