Skill training with alcoholics

Evaluated a short-term skill-training intervention that taught male alcoholics generation of appropriate behaviors in problematic situations. 40 alcoholics (mean age, 45.6 yrs) engaged in inpatient treatment were divided into 3 groups--a skill-training group, a discussion group, and a no-additional-treatment control group. A verbal role-playing measure of responses to situations associated with drinking behavior and relapse (Situational Competency Test, SCT) showed significant performance improvement of the training group as compared to the control groups. All Ss also completed the Shipley-Institute of Living Scale for measuring Intellectual Impairment and the Drinking Profile prior to treatment. A 1-yr posttreatment follow-up indicated that skill training decreased the duration and severity of relapse episodes. Behavior on the SCT predicted posttreatment adjustment. Although there are some limitations to skill training as implemented, results suggest its utility as one component of a multimodal behavioral approach to relapse in problem drinking and other problem areas such as drug addiction, smoking, obesity, and crime. (36 ref)