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Agreement between alcoholics and relatives when reporting follow-up status
The International Journal of the Addictions
|August 1, 1983
Summary
This study found that most alcoholics and their relatives agree on post-treatment status. However, some relatives report ongoing issues like excessive drinking, which the alcoholic often minimizes.
Area of Science:
- Addiction research
- Psychiatry
- Social sciences
Background:
- Assessing treatment effectiveness for alcoholism is crucial.
- Understanding patient and family perspectives offers valuable insights into recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the agreement between alcoholic patients and their relatives regarding post-treatment status.
- To identify areas of discrepancy in perceived recovery outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Telephone interviews were conducted with 45 patients and their relatives.
- Inquiries covered drinking habits, health, employment, relationships, legal issues, and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement.
Main Results:
- Eighty percent agreement was observed between patients and relatives across all assessed areas.
- Discrepancies occurred in 20% of cases, with relatives reporting issues (e.g., excessive drinking) that patients minimized.
- The extent of disagreement varied depending on the specific area of inquiry.
Conclusions:
- While many patients and relatives share a similar view of recovery, a significant minority experience differing perceptions.
- Discrepancies highlight potential blind spots in self-assessment for some individuals in recovery.
- Further research into the factors influencing these differing perspectives is warranted.