Prevalence of Polysubstance Abuse and Dual Diagnosis in Patients Admitted to Alcohol Rehabilitation Units for Alcohol-Related Problems in Italy: Changes in 15 Years.

Aims: Alcohol abuse has long been known as a disease with social and economic burden to society. Given the complex nature of alcohol treatment, it is worthwhile to examine the change over time of patients admitted to residential alcohol abuse rehabilitation units.

Methods: The data were collected from two Italian projects on alcoholics performed in the mid-1990s (ASSALT) and in 2009 (CORRAL), respectively.

[Alcohol-addiction inpatient: characteristics of patients and rehabilitation program].

Aim: The treatment of alcohol addiction in Italy has had a progressive evolution of therapeutic structures for in-and outpatients. During the last 20 years there had been a crescent presence of short residential treatment facilities (1-6 months) characterized by a high level of medical and psychotherapeutic intervention. About two years ago 12 of them jointed together in an association called CORRAL (COordinamento of Residenzialità Riabilitive Alcologiche).