Alcohol use and readiness to change after spinal cord injury

Objective: To describe alcohol use and motivation to change drinking among persons with recent spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Survey Setting: Acute inpatient rehabilitation program Patients: Subjects were 58 patients with recent SCI assessed during inpatient rehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures: Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST), Readiness to Change questionnaire (RTC), and alcohol use questions, Results: Subjects were on average 39 years old, 88% were male, and 86% were Caucasian. Thirty-five percent of the total sample scored in the "alcoholic" range on the SMAST, Twenty-nine (50%) of the sample were considered "at-risk" drinkers. Of these, 6 (21%) were in the precontemplation phase, 13 (45%) were in the contemplation phase, and 10 (34%) were in the action phase with respect to modifying their drinking habits. Multivariate analyses indicated that a positive history of alcoholism and higher daily consumption were associated with greater readiness to change. Conclusions: Soon after SCI, most at-risk drinkers are at least considering changes in their alcohol use. This situation may represent an underutilized window of opportunity to implement interventions designed to reduce postinjury alcohol abuse and related impairments. (C) 1998 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.