Aim of this study was to investigate the changes in life quality during 12 months follow-up among alcohol dependent inpatients.

Participants were 102 consecutively admitted male alcohol dependents, whom were available for second evaluation at 12 months follow-up. Patients were investigated with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item health survey (SF-36) at the end of inpatient treatment program and 12 months later in follow-up.

Among alcohol dependent inpatients 61.8% were considered to be relapsed. Sociodemographic variables did not differ between relapsed and non-relapsed groups. Mean scores of physical and mental component summaries did not differ between groups at baseline evaluation, whereas they were lower in relapsed group at 12 months follow-up. In non-relapsed group mean scores of all the life quality subscales and physical and mental component summaries improved at 12 months follow-up, whereas in relapsed group mean scores of life quality did not differ significantly.

Among alcohol dependent men life quality improves after 12 months of abstinence following inpatient treatment. Thus after measuring the impairments in life quality, if the findings are communicated to patients, this may enhance their motivation to stay sober after inpatient treatment programs.