Teaching Coping Skills to Chronic Alcoholics in a Coeducational Halfway House: II. Assessment of Outcome and Identification of Outcome Predictors

Abstract

An outcome study was conducted with 104 male and 56 female residents of an alcoholism halfway house. Generally poor outcomes were observed for both sexes on measures of drinking, employment, and social stability at 6, 12, and 18 month postdischarge periods. Although a number of differences were found between men and women at follow-up, sex was found to predict little of the variance when adjusted for the effects of other pretreatment characteristics. In predictive analyses, intake characteristics were found to be relatively strong predictors (19 to 21%) of drinking and employment outcomes. Status variables at the time of discharge were only modestly predictive of outcome when adjusted for intake characteristics. Implications for halfway houses are discussed. Walker, Sanchez-Craig and Bomet Outcome Analyses

Reducing Hospitalizations and Arrests for Substance Abusers

“…5 Each facility has an active affiliation with self-help programs and offers ongoing substance abuse treatment. In addition to physical exercise and other structured group activities, the facilities typically offer individual, group, and family counseling, daily living and social skills training, vocational and educational counseling, and discharge planning.…”

Under the Microscope Yet Again: A Commentary on Walker and Roach's Critique of the Dickens Committee's Enquiry into our Research

“…A final study which can also serve as an example of contemporary standards of extensive outcome data reporting in the present context is an article published in this journal in 1982 by Walker, Sanchez-Craig and Bornet [21]. That article examined the treatment outcome of chronic alcoholics treated in a halfway house, and it was heralded by the authors as follows: 'The present study is based on the most comprehensive and complete set of follow-up data for halfway house clients reported to date' [21, p. 185].…”

“…We are not suggesting that the Walker et at. [21] article is inadequate. Quite to the contrary, we agree with the authors regarding the strengths of their study.…”

“…Interested readers willing to spend the time evaluating the Walker et al [21] study by the same criteria which Walker and Roach apply to the IBTA study will find the comparison illuminating. Walker et at.…”

“…Walker et at. [21] gathered follow-up data on three occasions over 18 months. Their primary drinking behaviour measure was a modified quantity-frequency index which was used to categorize subjects into mutually exclusive drinking categories of abstinent, light, moderate, heavy-intermittent and heavy-chronic.…”