Browsing by Author "Ellawala, N.S."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

The Influence of sociodemographic factors on abstinence in alcohol dependent persons
(The Kandy Society of Medicine, 1992) de Silva, H.J.; Samarasinghe, D.S.; Ellawala, N.S.
Two hundred and thirty four alcohol dependent persons were admitted to an inten¬sive 6 week residential rehabilitation programme conducted at a special aleohol rehabilitation unit in Colombo. Of these. 175 (74 8%) were followed-up for a minimum of 2 years (mean 39.2 months) Of the 175, 76 persons remained totally abstinent and 99 had relapsed'by the end of the study period. There was a significant association (P<0001, chi-square test) between continued abstinence end having a life partner, stable family support, a higher income and regular employ -ment, A significant association was not found between abstinence and age of the dependent person, duration of alcohol dependence, level of education or type of employment. These results suggest that some 'environmental' factors play an important role in alcoholic remission
Influence of temperance on short term mortality among alcohol dependent men in Sri Lanka
(Oxford University Press, 1994) de Silva, H.J.; Ellawala, N.S.
The influence of temperance on short-term mortality was assessed in a group of alcohol-dependent men admitted to a rehabilitation unit in Sri Lanka. Of the 234 men initially admitted to the programme, 188 were followed up for at least 3 years (mean +/- SD 49.5 +/- 12.6 months) or until death. All 188 were totally abstinent from alcohol on leaving the 6 week residential module of the programme. During follow-up, 115 relapsed to continued heavy drinking, whereas 73 remained either totally abstinent or drank infrequently. There were no significant differences in the age, duration of dependence, number of previous interventions, duration of follow-up or smoking habits between the two groups of patients. The overall mortality for the whole sample population was 9.6%. The mortality among those who relapsed to heavy drinking (13.9%) was more than five times that of those who were abstinent or drank infrequently (2.7%) (P < 0.04). Fifteen of the 16 deaths (93.8%) among those who relapsed to heavy drinking were alcohol-related, and included five suicides and accidents whilst under the influence of alcohol. Temperance significantly reduces short-term mortality in alcohol-dependent men when compared to those who relapse to continued heavy drinking. This difference was primarily due to reduction in the risk of alcohol-related deaths.
Suicide in Sri Lanka: Points to ponder
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2000) de Silva, H.J.; Kasturiaratchi, N.; Seneviratne, S.L.; Senaratne, D.C.; Molagoda, A.; Ellawala, N.S.
No Abstract Available
A Two-year follow-up study of alcohol dependent men rehabilitated at a special unit in a developing country
(Churchill Livingstone, 1992) de Silva, H.J.; Peiris, M.U.P.K.; Samarasinghe, D.S.; Ellawala, N.S.
Two hundred and thirty-four alcohol dependent men who had all failed to improve after previous hospital-based interventions were admitted to an intensive 6-week residential rehabilitation programme conducted at a special unit in Sri Lanka. Outcome was assessed at 2 years post-treatment, and 36% of dependent persons remained totally abstinent. During an extended period of follow-up (mean 39.2 months) a significant association was found between abstinence and having a life partner, stable family support, a higher income and regular employment. However, there was no significant association between abstinence and age, duration of alcohol dependence, level of education or type of employment. Although the majority of alcohol dependent persons did not benefit from the programme, our results compare favourably with those of similar studies done in developed countries.