Psychiatric Treatment for Nursing Home Patients: Drug, Alcohol, and Milieu
CHING-PIAO CHIEN M.D.1,
BERNARD A. STOTSKY M.D.2, , and
JONATHAN O. COLE M.D.3
1 Director of Clinical Research, Boston State Hospital, 591 Morton St., Boston, Mass. 02124 and Assistant Clinical, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.
2 Chairman of the Department of Psychology, Boston State College and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.
3 Superintendent, Boston State Hospital, 591 Morton St., Boston, Mass. 02124 and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.
Following a four-week control period, 64 nursing home patients receiving doxepin, other psychoactive drugs, or no medication were placed on an alcohol regimen of beer or wine in the ward or in a simulated pub setup. The alcohol produced significant improvement in all groups, especially the doxepin group. However, the pub milieu did not demonstrate a significant superiority over ward milieu. The authors suggest that the pub milieu should be used as a catalyzer, rather than as an independent treatment modality, to facilitate the alcohol therapy.
