PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS OF AN ALCOHOLISM TYPOLOGY

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In recent years increasing research attention has been paid to the classification of individuals with alcohol related disorders. One research program has involved the construction of classifications based upon statistical cluster analytic techniques. The resulting typologies seem to have a number of important implications for differential alcoholism treatment, although thus far little research has specifically addressed this question. The goal of the proposed project is to begin an intensive examination of the treatment implications of a particularly promising alcoholism classification system. This classification is based upon extensive research and contains three types of alcohol abusers: Early Stage Problem Drinkers, Affiliative Alcoholics, and Schizoid Alcoholics. The project will be directed at examining the psychotherapy process in the treatment of these different alcoholic types, and it is hypothesized that the interpersonal differences noted between these three types will be manifest in their treatment. In doing so, the project will adapt stat of the art measures of psychotherapy process to the field of alcoholism treatment. The sample for the study will include 30 alcohol abusing patients (10 of each alcoholic type) treated in an intensive three week treatment program. Data will be obtained concerning (a) their alcohol use patterns; (b) their interpersonal orientation; and (c) their behavior during the process of psychotherapy. The results of the study will yield specific information about implications of client classificatoin for the psychotherapeutic treatment of alcoholism, as well as establish pilot data for future outcome studies which match clients with specific psychotherapeutic strategies.