Psychiatric Treatment for Nursing Home Patients: Drug, Alcohol, and Milieu

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.