title: What is therapeutic about inpatient alcoholism treatment?
abstract: Empirical studies supporting the efficacy of specific techniques and practices in the inpatient treatment of alcoholism are reviewed. The studies confirm the value of an intensive, group-oriented, multimodal treatment approach. Specific features that have been found to be helpful include a responsive intake procedure, patient participation in treatment planning, a professional staff with good interpersonal skills, interdisciplinary assessment and treatment, judicious use of appropriate medication, and a strong aftercare program. These findings may be useful in efforts to assess and compare different treatment programs and to design treatment outcome studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01605.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Adelman
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008884:Milieu Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies