Alcohol withdrawal and frequent hospital readmissions - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring individuals' experiences of frequent hospital readmissions for alcohol withdrawal
IRAS ID
327799
Contact name
Bethany Cragg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
A qualitative study that will use semi-structured interviews to explore individuals' experiences of frequent hospital readmissions for alcohol withdrawal. Participants will be people who have experienced three or more hospital admissions for alcohol withdrawal within the past year, and they will be recruited through the Alcohol Care Team at Hull Royal Infirmary. Participants will take part in an interview that may last up to 60 minutes. It is hoped that this research will help us to understand more about individuals’ experiences of alcohol withdrawal, and the hospital admissions they may go through as a result. It may also lead to future research into different ways that individuals who are frequently admitted to hospital for alcohol withdrawal can be better supported by services and teams
Summary of Results
In total, eight participants were recruited, and they each engaged in a one-to-one, semi-structured interview with the chief investigator. Participants were recruited through a local hospital's Alcohol Care Team, and all interviews took place on hospital grounds.
Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the information gathered during interview, and construct themes to explore and represent patterns across participant's experiences.
One theme was "A complex relationship with alcohol". This referred to how complex and multifaceted participants felt their alcohol use was, and how this impacted their decisions surrounding alcohol use and their readmissions. This theme was split into two sub-themes, as participants described biological influences of alcohol as a substance (“A chemical attachment”), in comparison to a psychologically-driven relationship with alcohol that also seemed to be prominent (“An emotional attachment”).
The second theme was "Significance of Perceptions", as perceptions of alcohol use and hospital admissions - held by professionals, others, and the participants themselves - appeared to hold strong significance for participants when they considered their admission experiences. Three patterns in particular appeared most meaningful for participants, and these formed the three sub-themes. There appeared to be a juxtaposition between the distinct negative experiences of judgement (“You get judged”) and shame (“It’s just really shameful”), alongside suggested benefits of more positive attitudes (“You feel validated and you feel understood”).
The final theme was "Support is vital". All participants expressed the importance they placed in receiving support. The concept of ‘Support is vital’ was further conceptualised as two sub-themes to try and capture the parallel needs of participants for not only the right type of help (“The help that we need”), but easier and safer access to said help (“Sometimes you’re met with a brick wall”).
These results give insight into the experiences and wants/needs of those frequently admitted to hospital in relation to alcohol withdrawal/dependence. It is hoped that these insights, as well as subsequent identification of areas for future research, can help to start to meet these needs.
This research intends to be submitted for publication in due course.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
23/NI/0161
Date of REC Opinion
28 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion