Premium
The referral problem in the field of alcohol abuse
Author(s) -
Vogler Roger E.,
Compton John V.,
Weissbach Theodore A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(197610)4:4<357::aid-jcop2290040406>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - referral , mental health , coercion (linguistics) , psychiatry , alcohol abuse , medicine , family medicine , clinical psychology , linguistics , philosophy
This paper reports on referral sources and the disposition of 409 problem drinkers who were contacted over a two‐year period for participation in a 17‐week alcohol abuse treatment program. A longitudinal follow‐up design was used with 103 persons to evaluate various iearning‐based techniques in moderating their drinking habits. Referrals were analyzed by source (75% were legal referrals) percentage completing the program (70%, 72%, and 69% for self, legal, and mental health referrals), and “success” at one year. Legal referrals reported a significantly smaller pretreatment alcohol intake than self and mental health referrals. However, the decrease in alcohol intake for legal and nonlegal referrals was almost identical. The stigma of alcoholism as a disease and the coercion associated with referral by legal agencies were considered to be factors in acceptance of treatment and in treatment outcome.