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Systems releasing action therapy with alcoholics: An experimental evaluation
Author(s) -
Moran Maurice,
Watson Charles G.,
Brown Jack,
White Clarence,
Jacobs Lyle
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197807)34:3<769::aid-jclp2270340340>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - psychology , minnesota multiphasic personality inventory , anhedonia , group psychotherapy , clinical psychology , anxiety , gestalt therapy , neurosis , psychotherapist , feeling , personality , psychiatry , perception , gestalt psychology , social psychology , neuroscience , pleasure
Described Systems Releasing Action Therapy (SRAT) and a controlled study that evaluated its effectiveness. The therapy combines physical and fantasy exercises and has its roots in the Bioenergetic and Gestalt traditions. To evaluate its effectiveness, 56 patients who were receiving treatment for alcoholism were assigned randomly to therapy and control groups. On 3‐week follow‐up, the therapy sample showed significantly more improvement than the controls on measures of blood pressure, physical symptoms, anxiety, hysteroid tendencies, disturbed feelings and self‐image. Suggestive differences (interactions significant only at the 0.20 level) in favor of the therapy group also appeared on measures of vital capacity, withdrawal, excessive drinking, anhedonia and four neurosis‐oriented MMPI scales. However, 6‐month follow‐up data were relatively unimpressive. The results suggest this type of therapy is an effective one, at least for the short term.