Abstract
Several studies discovered an association between social support and therapy outcomes in patients suffering from alcoholism. However, less is known about the influence of functional social support (fss) on these outcomes. In this prospective study, we examined the impact of fss on different alcohol-dependence related variables in 132 alcohol-dependent patients. The fss was measured with the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Social Support Survey at baseline and at the end of the study. We found significantly higher fss levels in patients with a current partnership. However, there was no association between fss or its sub-dimensions (emotional, cognitive and practical social support) with days until relapse. Fss was stable in the 12 week interval, despite ongoing weekly therapy. However, controlling for the variables "partnership" and "time of first withdrawal symptoms", we found a negative correlation between perceived practical social support and number of previous inpatient detoxifications. Increased empirical understanding of the impact of social relationships in alcohol-dependent patients would help to improve treatment prognosis, in addition, optimizing the currently available therapeutic options.
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