Skill training with alcoholics: a clinical extension

The present study attempted to replicate and extend a behavioral skill training package developed by Chaney, O'Leary, & Marlatt (1978) to a group of alcoholics of higher socio-economic status than the population originally studied. Subjects receiving the skill training package, which consisted of behavioral rehearsal of coping responses generated for potential relapse-precipitating events, were compared to a control group which received no additional treatment and to a discussion control group which discussed the potential relapse-precipitating events without rehearsing specific responses. All subjects received the assigned treatment as an adjunct to a standard inpatient treatment program. Unlike the results of the Chaney et al. study, which found the skill training package to be superior to both control groups, the present study found that both the skill training and discussion groups were superior to the no-treatment control group, and did not differ from each other.