The Israeli residential center for alcoholics 1982-1987

This paper touches upon three primary topics: description of the treatment methods and approaches that have proven to be most useful and successful in Israel's only residential center for alcoholics; summary of recent findings about the characteristics of alcoholics that have been treated at the residential center during the years 1982-1987 (the findings revealed a high percentage of married alcoholics and of unemployment) and some details about the follow-up investigation and the evaluation of the effectiveness of the center's treatment modality. The relatively high abstention rate - 40.9% of all patients (51.2% of those who completed treatment) - is the most important result of the study. Thus, this article integrates research data and relevant features of the Israeli residential treatment experience, in which the emphasis on involving the family is greater than elsewhere.