Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Thevos, Angelica Kathryn

Titel

Alcoholism with and without social phobia: A comparison of pre and post treatment differences in drinking and social support

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

1997

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• There is a high rate of comorbidity between social phobia and alcoholism and the problems associated with both disorders can combine exponentially to compromise success in treatment. Social phobia and social support can intuitively be thought to be related in that people with social phobia, by definition, have difficulty in their social interactions. Yet it is well established that social support is important in well being and health and can affect treatment outcome. The purpose of this study was to compare treatment seeking alcoholics with and without social phobia on demographic, drinking, and social support variables at baseline prior to treatment, within 12 weeks of treatment, and during the subsequent 12 following treatment. Differential treatment effects on drinking and social support outcomes between alcoholics with and without social phobia were examined for three treatments: cognitive-behavioral therapy, twelve step facilitation therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy. The sample population was selected from a multisite study of treatment matching which was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Results revealed no group differences on outcome measures for quantity and frequency of drinking between the two diagnostic groups in any of the three treatment groups at any timepoint. All three treatments studied had a beneficial effect on drinking for both diagnostic groups. Statistically significant differences were identified in two measures of social support at baseline but these differences have little clinical significance. Follow-up levels of social support reported between the diagnostic groups showed no differences in any of the measures. In all three of the treatment under study, the social phobia group had increased social support at follow-up to the levels of the non social phobia group. This study indicates that once alcohol use in individuals with social phobia reaches the level of alcohol dependence, treatment for alcoholism works, regardless of the theoretical orientation of the treatment. Assessment and prevention may be the areas that are most important with regard to the dual diagnosis of social phobia and alcoholism.