Brief treatment for alcohol dependence: level of dependence and treatment outcome

The relationship between level of alcohol dependence and treatment outcome was examined by comparing the success rates of severely dependent and not severely dependent males treated briefly in Toronto and Brazil. Treatment involved three 1-hour sessions of training in methods for achieving abstinence or moderate drinking. During the year following treatment, the severely dependent clients were more frequently rated as "successful"--56% of them achieved abstinence or moderate drinking, compared to about 30% of those who were not severely dependent. Although this difference is not statistically significant, the finding is clearly of clinical relevance.