Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders in Canada - Abstract
Objectives: To compare how treatment programs for alcohol dependence differ regarding the kind of treatment offered available medication and treatment goal.
Methods: A survey of 128 alcohol dependence treatment agencies across ten provinces in Canada compared the following treatment characteristics: expected abstinence at start, acceptance of harm reduction as a goal, specific treatment types and availability of medication to mitigate withdrawal symptoms or to prevent relapses.
Results: Of 128 contacted treatment agencies, 44 consented to be included in the
comparison. The most popular treatment styles were individual and group counselling,
Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and the 12 step-based therapy program. The majority of agencies did not offer medication; however all provinces with the exception of Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island had at least one agency offering medication. Abstinence was required before treatment at approximately half of all agencies, with 20% of agencies using abstinence as the only acceptable treatment goal.
Conclusions: Little variation exists between provinces in regards to treatment types, however, the availability of medication between provinces varied greatly from 0% to 100%. There are no federal guidelines for alcohol dependence treatment in place, with agencies using provincial and other norms which differ across Canada. A reduction in alcohol consumption as treatment goal should become more open to potential patients to increase current treatment rates.