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Alcohol rehab programmes

An alcohol rehab programme usually refers to a period of rehabilitation (or rehab) for people suffering the effects of alcohol misuse. In the UK, alcohol rehab programmes usually refer to psychological treatment which teaches the patient new methods of interacting with others without the use of alcohol. These rehab programmes may either be residential, part residential or rely on a series of meetings or counselling sessions.

There are various types of alcohol rehab programme - twelve step alcohol rehab programmes, therapeutic community alcohol rehabs, religious based alcohol rehab programmes, and medical model alcohol rehabs. The commonest form of alcohol rehab programme in the UK is the twelve step programme.

All alcohol rehab programmes tend to share a number of key features. Residents in the residential centres must be drug and alcohol free (apart from tobacco); alcohol rehabs provide a structured programme of psychological, educational and social therapy, which aims at preparing the alcohol misuser to manage better an alcohol free life back in society; alcohol rehab programme lengths vary between 1 and 9 months. Many alcohol rehab programmes will include alcohol detoxification in-house when this is necessary, in advance of commencement of the alcohol rehab programme.

Residential alcohol rehab programmes versus community (home) rehab programmes

As for in-patient detoxification, residential alcohol rehab programmes appear to present a higher probability of successful outcome than does community based alcohol rehab. A 1996 follow-up study, conducted as part of the National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS) indicated the following (Gossop M et al, 1999): When compared to the community services in the NTORS project, residential rehab programmes achieved comparable outcomes, but were treating clients with more severe patterns of addiction, thus indicating greater effectiveness of residential as compared to community rehab.

Duration of alcohol rehab programme

Also in the NTORS study it was found that compared to early leavers from rehab, those retained at least 28 days in short rehab programmes, and 90 days in longer rehab programmes were four times less likely to relapse than others. The issue of retention in alcohol rehab treatment is central to effectiveness, and can be seen as a function of how the alcohol rehab service relates to its clients, rather than the reverse. Alcohol rehabs which actively engage with clients, provide supportive environments and well structured programmes, which are clear about their policies and their therapies, and which tailor their activities (or at least allow residents to do so) to individual needs produce better outcomes.

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