Out-patient behaviour therapy in alcoholism: treatment outcome after 2 years.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of the study was the evaluation of out-patient behavioural approaches in alcohol dependence. Additionally, the persistence of treatment effects and the impact of psychiatric comorbidity in long-term follow-up was examined.


METHODS
A total of 120 patients were randomly assigned to non-specific supportive therapy or to two different behavioural therapy programmes (coping skills training and cognitive therapy) each comprising 26 weekly sessions; the follow-up period lasted 2 years.


RESULTS
Patients undergoing behavioural therapy showed a consistent trend towards higher abstinence rates; significant differences between the two behavioural strategies could not be established. Moreover, the results indicate a reduced ability of cognitive impaired patients to cope with short-time abstinence violations and at a reduced benefit from behavioural techniques for patients with severe personality disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Behavioural treatment yielded long-lasting effects and met high acceptance; yet, still in need of improvement is the development of specific programmes for high-risk patients.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany. burtsche@uni-duesseldorf.de
W
W
Burtscheidt
W
W
Wölwer
R
R
Schwarz
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W
Strauss
W
W
Gaebel
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013695:Temperance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome