Two-year outcome of coping skills training, group support and information for spouses of alcoholics: a randomized...

To evaluate three different intervention programmes for spouses of alcoholics.

39 spouses of alcoholics (36 women and 3 men) with an average age of 47 years (ranging from 23 to 60 years) were randomly assigned to one of the three interventions: Coping Skills Training, Group Support, and Information. Follow-up interviews were conducted 12 and 24 months after completing the programme. Coping Behaviour Scale, Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), Hardship Scale and AUDIT at admission and at follow-up were compared. 38 of the 39 spouses completed the 24-month follow-up examination.

Improvements of coping behaviour, psychiatric symptoms and hardship noted at the 12-month follow-up examination were still evident in all groups at the 24-month follow-up examination. The three groups scored similarly at 24 months on the four scales.

A post hoc examination of subjects with SCL-90 scores above general population means, showed less improvement in the Information group than the two therapy groups combined (P < 0.05).