Abstract
Gave to 21 30-58 yr. old male alcoholic patient volunteers in a state hospital a mean of 11 hr. in 1 of 3 treatments: (a) interpersonal aversion (in which S watched his own audiovideo-recorded drinking "confessions" while being systematically derogated by 2 therapists), followed immediately by systematic desensitization to drinking-related anxieties; (b) interpersonal aversion, followed by a control procedure consisting of friendly interaction; or (c) group discussion. Ss were given the Alcadd Test and MacAndrews' Alcoholism scale (derived from the MMPI) before, after, and 6-9 mo. following treatment. Follow-up interview data show that 5 of the 7 traceable Ss given the interpersonal aversion-systematic desensitization treatment reported abstinence, compared with only 1 of 7 treated by the interpersonal aversion-control procedure. This significant difference was supported by changes on the Alcadd Test but not on the Alcoholism scale. Difficulties in contacting Ss for follow-up precluded complete comparisons with the group-discussion Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 394-398 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of consulting and clinical psychology |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 1972 |
Keywords
- aversion-desensitization treatment, alcoholics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health