Successfully adjusted alcoholics lost to long-term follow-up. A prospective study.

In a two-decade personal follow-up of male alcoholics who had been assessed by a multidimensional diagnostic schedule when first admitted to hospital, the attrition rate was somewhat higher (14%) in a sample chosen for good social adjustment (N = 70) than in a comparison group (N = 35) of subjects with a disability pension (9%). In the good social adjustment sample, outcome status did not differ between subjects causing follow-up difficulties compared with the others. In both samples there was a higher frequency of personality disturbance with lack of internal control of behaviour (initial ratings) in subjects who were lost or caused other follow-up difficulties compared with the others (P less than 0.05). Among the socially well adjusted alcoholics the frequency of psychopathic behaviour when first admitted was higher in the lost than in the interviewed subjects (P less than 0.001).