Abstract
Hazardous drinking is a major barrier to antiviral treatment eligibility among hepatitis C (HCV) patients. We evaluated differences in substance-related coping, drinking-related consequences, and importance and confidence in ability to change alcohol use among hazardous drinkers with and without HCV (N = 554; 93.5% male). We examined group differences between HCV+ patients (n = 43) and their negative HCV counterparts (n = 511). Results indicate a higher percentage of HCV+ patients report using substances to cope with possible symptoms of PTSD (P<.05) and depression (P<.01), and endorse more lifetime drinking-related negative consequences than HCV patients (P<.01). Furthermore, HCV+ patients place greater importance on changing alcohol use (P<.01) but report less confidence in their ability to change (P<.01). Use of brief assessment and feedback with skills-based interventions to decrease alcohol use may be well-received by HCV+ patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 634-641 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2012 |
Funding
Acknowledgments This research was partially supported by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Academic Affiliations’ Post Doctoral Fellowship Program in Health Services Research to Dr. Oser. The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Keywords
- Alcohol use
- Coping
- Hazardous drinking
- Hepatitis C
- Mental health symptoms
- Veterans
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- General Psychology
