Accuracy of alcohol diagnosis among DWI offenders referred for screening.
Drug Alcohol Depend
; 76(2): 135-41, 2004 Nov 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15488337
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Most US courts use screening programs to evaluate substance-abuse problems of convicted driving while impaired (DWI) offenders. Typically self-report information determines need for treatment. However, little is known about the accuracy of self-reports of alcohol-use problems in this population.METHODS:
DSM-III-R alcohol abuse and dependence diagnoses from an initial, court-ordered screening evaluation of 583 female and 495 male convicted DWI offenders were compared with diagnoses and other self-reported information from a voluntary, noncoerced interview 5 years after the screening referral.RESULTS:
At initial screening, 16.8% of offenders were diagnosed with alcohol abuse and 20.1% with alcohol dependence. At the 5-year interview, 19.9 and 60.1% received a retrospective diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence at the age at which they were screened. Significantly fewer of those with a retrospective alcohol diagnosis reported that their alcohol use self-reports at screening were "very accurate" compared to those with no retrospective diagnosis.CONCLUSIONS:
Although many DWI offenders undergoing screening have diagnosable alcohol-related problems, underreporting is common, leading to inaccurate diagnosis and, therefore, a missed treatment opportunity. The research community and policymakers should review and reform the current screening system for alcohol-impaired drivers to better address this serious public health problem.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Condução de Veículo
/
Programas de Rastreamento
/
Etanol
/
Intoxicação Alcoólica
/
Alcoolismo
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Drug Alcohol Depend
Ano de publicação:
2004
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos