Predictors of attrition from an outpatient alcoholism treatment program for couples.

Applicants (N = 105, 22 women) to an outpatient alcoholism treatment research program for married couples were categorized into three classifications: (1) treatment refusers (N = 37), (2) treatment dropouts (N = 23) and (3) treated subjects (N = 45). Discriminant analyses were performed to determine the best predictors of eventual category from baseline data. Compared with those who consented to treatment, refusers were found to be younger, have shorter drinking histories and were less likely to have personally initiated contact with the treatment program. Dropouts were less likely than treated subjects to have made their own initial contact with the program, more likely to have depressive symptoms not associated with alcohol use and were not employed full time. Remaining in treatment was most strongly associated with marital factors--assignment of the couple to a marital therapy condition versus a treatment in which the spouse was not fully involved and the spouse's initial satisfaction with the marriage. Results are discussed in terms of the treatment implications for spouse involvement in treatment.

Stability of drinking prior to alcoholism treatment.

This study assessed how many months of pretreatment drinking data would represent a stable baseline. Fifty-one couples were interviewed using the time-line follow-back interviewing procedure to obtain 365 days of pretreatment drinking data. The pattern (binge, episodic, steady) and frequency of drinking did not differ when comparing 30 days prior to treatment with the rest of the year. However, there were significantly more abstinent days in the last 3 months than in the remainder of the pretreatment year. Implications for baseline data collection in alcoholism treatment research are discussed.