Efectos de la integración de grupos de ayuda mutua sobre la adherencia al programa de continuidad en el cuidado a pacientes con dependencia del alcohol realizado en Atención Primaria

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the effects of including mutual aid associations into a continuing care programme for patients with alcohol dependence carried out by Primary Care teams. SITE: Primary Care Teams belonging to the attendance area of the University Hospital 12 de Octubre at Madrid. PARTICIPANTS: 207 participants with alcohol dependence treated in an intensive hospital outpatient-setting programme were included in a continuing care programme carried out by a Primary Care team for a four-year period. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomised into two intervention modalities. The first group was followed up while receiving a treatment modality known as «monitoring recovery» (Group A, n = 97). The other group, in addition to the above-mentioned intervention, attended to a mutual aid association included in the Federation of Alcoholics of the Community of Madrid (FACOMA) in which the programme «Help Yourself-Help Us» was carried out (Group B, n = 112). MAIN OUTCOMES: Dropout rates on the sessions designed to monitor their recovery from their alcohol dependence and other comorbid medical conditions. RESULTS: Patients in Group B reached higher rates of therapeutic adherence to the programme (47.9% vs. 14.7%, p < 0.01), as well as for the comorbid medical issues when compared to Group A. CONCLUSIONS: Including mutual aid associations that carried out the «Help yourself-Help Us» programme for a four-year period improves outcomes related to therapeutic adherence in patients with alcohol dependence attending Primary Care teams.