Verbal ability predicts abstinence from drugs and alcohol in a residential treatment population

Measures of cognitive ability, depression, anxiety, antisocial personality, as well as length, type and severity of addiction were obtained from 122 substance abusers enrolled in residential treatment programs. Over a subsequent 6-mo. monitoring period, relapse to substance use was detected in 46 subjects. 17 subjects withdrew from treatment for other reasons and their relapse status was unknown. The remaining 59 maintained abstinence from alcohol or drug use throughout the monitoring period. The only variables to differentiate the groups significantly on outcome were IQ and the Verbal subtest from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Stepwise discriminant function analysis indicated that the Verbal component alone correctly identified 64.4% of patients who would successfully remain abstinent.