The OCDS used for the assessment of obsessive and compulsive symptoms associated with alcohol intake and relapse may contribute significantly to the assessment of detoxification programmes.

The assessment of patients after therapy, using OCDS.

The OCDS was administered to 121 patients (94 males and 27 females) at the onset of treatment and upon its completion two months later. All patients were taking medication with naltrexone. Gender, age, education, years of alcohol use and abuse, alcoholism type (91 type I and 30 type II) were recorded.

The averages years were: age 43,1±7,9, education 11,1±3,3, alcohol use 21,2±8,9, abuse 9,9±7,1. The average of the initial measurement was 27,2±8,2 significantly higher (paired t-test p< 0.001) than the second, the average of which was 5,3±7,6. 95% showed improvement with average improvement rate 21,9 ± 9,9. No correlation with age, alcohol use and abuse or alcoholism type (Pearson correlation p> 0.05) was observed, but lower improvement rate among females is indicated (18,7±10,9 VS 22.9±9.5 t-test p=0.05). Negative correlation between education and alcohol use and abuse (Pearson correlation p< 0.05), and positive correlation between the first and the second measurement were observed (Pearson correlation p>0.05).

Although therapy seems effective in reducing symptoms, further studies must prove that positive results persist over time. The OCDS seems useful for assessing treatment and has follow-up reliability. The small number of females in the sample renders it unsafe to make any generalisations regarding gender related results in this study.