title: Self-efficacy and substance abuse: assessment using a brief phone interview.
abstract: 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 I 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evaluation and Research, University of Texas-Houston, USA.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Coon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pena
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Illich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D020377:Self Efficacy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy; D013689:Telephone