A prospective study of treatment outcome in alcohol dependence from a deaddiction centre in India.

A naturalistic, uncontrolled follow up study was carried out -in 60 cases of alcohol dependence syndrome diagnosed according to DSM-III-R at JIPMER.Pondicherry. At the end of one year, 32.5% of patients could he classified under abstinent and non prohlein drinker category. 35% continued to drink hut showed improvement in social and occupational functioning. 32.5% remained in the unimproved group. None of the preireatment variables could differentiate patients with favourable outcome from those with unfavourable outcome. Duration of disulfiram use was strongly associated with a favourable outcome.