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Is There a Need for Congruent Treatment Goals Between Alcohol‐Dependent Patients and Caregivers?
Author(s) -
Berglund Kristina J.,
Svensson Ida,
Berggren Ulf,
Balldin Jan,
Fahlke Claudia
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13003
Subject(s) - abstinence , outcome (game theory) , treatment and control groups , congruence (geometry) , psychology , association (psychology) , medicine , relapse prevention , psychotherapist , clinical psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , mathematics , mathematical economics
Background Alcohol‐dependent patients have different treatment goals when entering treatment. Furthermore, different treatment settings advocate different treatment goals. Earlier studies have pointed out that treatment goal is important for treatment outcome, both in the treatment setting as well as in the patients themselves. However, to our knowledge, no study has so far investigated the interaction between patient's goal and the goal of the treatment setting. The aim of the study was therefore to study the interaction between these 2 factors on treatment outcome. Methods Patients' ( n = 201) goals from 2 treatment settings—one that had an abstinence‐oriented goal and one with a low‐risk drinking goal—were investigated. The patients were followed up 2.5 years after treatment entry and effectiveness of congruent treatment goals on treatment outcome was investigated. Results There was no significant association between congruent goals and treatment outcomes ( p = 0.060). However, when comparing the effectiveness of congruent treatment goal between the 2 treatment settings, the abstinence‐oriented treatment setting was significantly more effective ( p < 0.01). Conclusions The major finding was that there appeared to be no association between congruence itself and treatment outcome. On the other hand, we found that the treatment outcome was more successful if the patient as well as the treatment setting had abstinence as a goal (i.e., congruent goals of abstinence).