Predictors of engagement in the Alcoholics Anonymous group or to psychotherapy among Brazilian alcoholics : a six-month follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain factors associated with engagement of patients with alcohol dependence in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups and psychotherapy. METHODS: About 300 hospitalized alcoholics were interviewed at hospitalization and again 3 and 6 months thereafter. Assessment included the administration of standardized instruments. Determinants of engagement in both interventions were assessed through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Higher educational level was predictive of engagement in AA after 6 months (OR = 2.19; CI 1.08-4.41). Engagement in psychotherapy after 6 months was related to having a university degree (OR = 3.60; CI 1.6-7.9), to a co-morbid depressive disorder (OR = 3.47; CI 1.8-6.5), to the use of other drugs together with alcohol (OR = 3.08; CI 1.5-6.19), to previous treatment (OR = 2.87; CI 1.29-6.40), and to having a high school degree (OR = 2.44; CI 1.24-4.80). The presence of substance-induced anxiety disorder was associated with non-engagement in psychotherapy (OR = 0.27; CI 0.63-0.003). CONCLUSION: The identification of predictors of engagement is important to guide clinicians in the choice of the treatment strategies that are more likely to be successful.