Study title

Cognitive Functions and Coping Skills of Alcoholics 1987-1988 and Follow-up 2014

Dataset ID Number

FSD2730

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2730
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd2730

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Saarnio, Pekka (University of Helsinki. Department of Social Policy)

Abstract

The data are part of a research project studying clients and staff of Finnish rehabilitation centres treating people with substance abuse problems. This dataset covers the treatment and rehabilitation of male alcoholics treated in an alcohol rehabilitation centre.

The data were collected by using questionnaires, learning potential tests and static tests. There were three separate questionnaires: one for background information, the Coping Behaviours Inventory with modified response categories, and the Effectiveness of Coping Behaviours Inventory. Learning potential tests included matrices test (a modified version of Raven's Progressive Matrices) and a static version of the 20-questions task. Static tests included WAIS Digit Symbol, Trail Making Test, WAIS Block Design and Embedded Figures Test (see Saarnio, 1990).

The respondents' alcohol use was surveyed with questions covering, among others, the age when they had started alcohol use, duration of problematic alcohol use, duration of the latest period of drinking, amount of alcohol used when drinking heavily, and other intoxicating substances used. Social and health consequences of drinking were examined with the Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST) and with further questions on the consequences (e.g. termination of relationship, loss of job, delirium tremens, cirrhosis). The locations in which and people with whom the respondents mainly drank were investigated as well as the time that had passed between the latest drink and arrival to the rehabilitation centre.

The Coping Behaviours Inventory and the Effectiveness of Coping Behaviours Inventory were both questionnaires with 36 items. The items in the inventories were identical but the response scales differed. In the former inventory, the respondents were asked to select ways in which they had tried to stop themselves from drinking again. These included, among others, "telephoning a friend", "staying indoors - hiding", "going to AA meeting" and "eating a good meal". For the ECBI, the respondents were requested to estimate how well the techniques they had tried had worked.

The data have been supplemented with follow-up variables on the respondents' situation in 2014. The variables contain information on whether the respondent was still alive and if not, when he had died and what the cause of death had been.

The background variables included, among others, the respondent's age, marital status, type of municipality, housing tenure, level of education, total number of years in education, months in employment in the previous six months, employment status, gross monthly income in the previous six months, and education level, alcohol use and potential break-up or divorce of the parents.

Keywords

addiction; alcoholism; coping; drinking behaviour; medical treatment methods; rehabilitation; social work

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Specific social services: use and availability (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Drug abuse, alcohol and smoking (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Substance Abuse Treatment

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Saarnio, Pekka (University of Helsinki. Department of Social Policy)
• Salonen, Minna

Time Period Covered

1987 – 1988

Collection Dates

1987-08 – 1988-05

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Men aged 20-50 years with alcohol problems who had started their treatment in an alcohol rehabilitation centre (excluding women)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Cohort/Event-based

Sampling Procedure

Non-probability: Purposive

Social workers recruited individuals for the study during the initial interviews for new clients. Recruitment criteria: age between 20 and 50, no brain injuries or other illnesses or mental disorders affecting cognitive performance, no psychiatric medication used, latest period of drinking known and normal sight and hearing.

Collection Mode

Face-to-face interview

Measurements and tests

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The follow-up data 2014 was added to the dataset 6 November 2015. The follow-up data contains the variables 'status' (situation in 2014), 'kuolvuo' (year of death), and 'kuolsyy' (cause of death).

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Saarnio, Pekka (University of Helsinki): Cognitive Functions and Coping Skills of Alcoholics 1987-1988 and Follow-up 2014 [dataset]. Version 2.0 (2015-11-06). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2730

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Saarnio, Pekka. (1990). Alkoholistien hoidon ja kuntoutuksen peruslähtökohtia. Tutkimus huoltola-asiakkaiden kognitiivisista toiminnoista, sosiaalisesta tilanteesta ja selviytymiskeinoista. Väitöskirja. Helsingin yliopiston sosiaalipolitiikan laitoksen tutkimuksia 2/1990.

Saarnio, Pekka. (1992). Measuring the learning potential of abstinent alcoholics. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 30 (2), 199-207.

Saarnio, Pekka. (1993). Question asking strategies in abstinent alcoholics: A study of learning potential. Alcohol & Alcoholism 28 (5), 585-592.

Saarnio, Pekka. (1994). A comparative study of dynamic and static testing in abstinent alcoholics. Journal of Clinical Psychology 50 (2), 272-280.

Saarnio, Pekka. (1994). Measuring the effect of the duration of problem drinking on cognitive functions in alcoholics. Japanese Journal of Alcohol Studies and Drug Dependence 29 (2), 108-113.