Use of Aftercare Following Inpatient Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment: Assumptions on the Status of Networking in the German Addiction Treatment System

The present study addresses potential problems with treatment transition by investigating the use of aftercare treatments by inpatients after alcohol withdrawal treatment without immediate transition to rehabilitation. Methods: We analyzed the control group of the SmartAssistEntz project. Therefor, 181 individuals were interviewed three and six weeks, as well as three and six months after their withdrawal treatment, assessing information regarding the use and evaluation of different aftercare treatments. Results: Over the course of the study, more than half of the participants reported using at least one aftercare treatment. Mostly and most continuously used were drug counseling offers (20-35 % of the participants). Rehabilitation treatments were reported by 8-14 % of the participants six weeks after withdrawal treatment, and by 27-33 % six months thereafter. The treatments were mostly considered to be "helpful", whereby self-help groups performed worst. The reason for the lack of aftercare was mostly waiting time (12-22 % of the cases). The use of rehabilitation treatment during the first three months after withdrawal treatment was associated with a reduced risk of relapse. Conclusions: Particularly drug counseling offers seem to be a low-threshold and subjectively helpful measure following inpatient withdrawal treatment. At the same time, regarding abstinence, the visit of rehabilitation treatments seems to be decisive. Thus, their use should be promoted more intensely.