Self-Efficacy and Substance Abuse: Assessment Using a Brief Phone Interview

Considerable research has shown that one’s self-efficacy to avoid cigarette smoking and alcohol use increases during treatment and that high self-efficacy ratings at follow-up are associated with positive outcome. The present study extends existing research in two ways. First, self-efficacy was assessed among a predominantly crack-cocaine–using population during treatment and 1 month following treatment. Second, the viability of a brief self-efficacy measure (4 item) was assessed using a phone interview. Results from 186 patients (61% reporting crack-cocaine) interviewed following treatment showed that self-efficacy increased during treatment and was higher for patients reporting abstinence 1 month after treatment. The results from the brief self-efficacy assessment were comparable to an established version of the self-efficacy measure. These findings suggest that (a) self-efficacy may be related to the maintenance of abstinence from cocaine and other substances of abuse, and (b) self-efficacy can be measured quickly and reliably through a phone interview.