Background: Patterns of health care utilization of families of carpenters with and without alcohol and/or substance abuse related diagnoses (ASRD) were compared.
Methods: Utilization data for families of 13,657 carpenters for a 10 year period were analyzed. Concordance of diagnoses among family members was assessed and proportionate utilization ratios were used to compare the experiences of families of carpenters with and without ASRD.
Results: Twenty-eight percent of the spouses with ASRD had a carpenter spouse with a similar diagnosis. Twenty-four percent of the families with a child with ASRD had a parent with one of these diagnoses compared to 9.4% of families without any children with ASRD (P < 0.0001). Families of carpenters with alcohol or ASRD also had different patterns of health care utilization.
Conclusions: Utilization patterns were influenced to a significant degree by concordant diagnoses among spouses and children. Excess mental health care was seen among families of carpenters with ASRD above their care for substance abuse treatment.
Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.