Open AccessA 12‐session relapse prevention program vs psychoeducation in the treatment of Japanese alcoholic patients: A randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Harada Takayuki,
Aikawa Yuzo,
Takahama Mihoko,
Yumoto Yosuke,
Umeno Mitsuru,
Hasegawa Yukako,
Ohsawa Shigeo,
Asukai Nozomu
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
neuropsychopharmacology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.661
H-Index - 13
ISSN - 2574-173X
DOI - 10.1002/npr2.12248
Subject(s) - psychoeducation , relapse prevention , randomized controlled trial , cognitive behavioral therapy , addiction , medicine , clinical psychology , cognition , treatment and control groups , psychology , psychiatry , physical therapy , intervention (counseling)
Aim Alcoholism is the most prevalent substance use disorder in Japan; the estimated number of patients and high‐risk drinkers is in the millions. Although studies in the West have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatment strategies for alcoholic patients, there is a dearth of efficacy studies of CBT‐based intervention for those patients in the non‐Western setting. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a 12‐session CBT‐based relapse prevention program for Japanese alcoholic patients. Methods Forty‐eight alcoholic patients (M = 36, F = 12) who were admitted to an addiction treatment unit were randomly allocated either to a 12‐session relapse prevention (RP) program (n = 24) or a 12‐session psychoeducation (PE) program (n = 24). Both treatment programs were conducted in a group format once a week for 12 weeks. Other aspects of inpatient treatment (group meetings, etc) were the same in both groups. Self‐rating scales, which measure behavioral and cognitive coping, coping response, self‐efficacy, and cognition of drinking, were administered at pretreatment, mid‐treatment, and posttreatment periods. The proportion of participants who relapsed at 3 and 6 months after discharge was evaluated. Results Both RP and PE groups showed significant improvement in self‐efficacy and cognition of drinking at posttreatment. However, there were no significant differences in the self‐rating scales between both groups. In addition, there were no significant differences in relapse rate at 3 and 6 months after discharge between both groups. Conclusions The 12‐session CBT‐based relapse prevention program and the psychoeducation program may be equally efficacious for alcoholic patients. Several factors that influenced the results are discussed.