Self-help peer-led therapy can yield improved cost effectiveness and clinical outcome in hospital-based alcoholism treatment.
This was demonstrated by comparing two ambulatory alcoholism treatment programs: a control program operated solely by professional staff, and an experimental one based on peer-led self-help (SH).
The SH program was staffed by only half as many primary therapists as the control. Patients in both programs were evaluated over the course of one year.
By means of the Patient Status Form, a clinical assessment instrument applied monthly, SH patients were found to score significantly higher on social adjustment, although retention and drinking rates, and utilization of Alcoholics Anonymous and disulfiram were no different from controls.
This study is the continuation of an initial comparison in which SH patients were found to have enhanced retention in treatment after discharge from an impatient service.
Galanter M,Castaneda R, Salamon I. Institutional self-help therapy for alcoholism: clinical outcome. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1987 Oct;11(5):424-9.
One program that is designed to assit with the above is BriefTSF, a professionally designed course for facilitating and understanding 12-Step fellowships.
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