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Out‐patient behaviour therapy in alcoholism: treatment outcome after 2 years
Author(s) -
Burtscheidt W.,
Wölwer W.,
Schwarz R.,
Strauss W.,
Gaebel W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2002.02332.x
Subject(s) - abstinence , comorbidity , behaviour therapy , cognition , cognitive therapy , clinical psychology , persistence (discontinuity) , psychiatry , medicine , personality , psychology , coping (psychology) , social psychology , geotechnical engineering , engineering
Burtscheidt W, Wölwer W, Schwarz R, Strauss W, Gaebel W. Out‐patient behaviour therapy in alcoholism: treatment outcome after 2 years. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2002: 106: 227–232. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2002. 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. Method: 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. Conclusion: 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.