Eighty-six male alcoholic inpatients were randomly assigned to comparable 3- or 5-week treatment progrrams. Psychometric testing at the beginning and the end of treatment was supplemented by follow-up data 6 months after discharge. While both the 3- and 5-week groups demonstrated significant improvement on both MMPI and follow-up data, few differences between the groups were revealed. The comparable results obtained offer little justification for prolonging inpatient treatment beyond 3 weeks. It is suggested that the inpatient phase of alcohol treatment be brief and oriented to developing a well-structured extended outpatient program.

No abstract

Divided thirty-two male alcoholics into two groups on the basis of their MMPI profile. Group 1 consisted of Ss determined to be tense and anxious, while Group 2 included a more heterogeneous sample of personality types. Eight Ss from each group received 14 days of progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback; the remainder received control sessions of taped music and EMG monitoring. Group 1 experimental S achieved greater levels of relaxation than either their matched controls or Group 2 Ss. POMS scores revealed a significant difference over time for all Ss in the direction of improved mood states. No significant between-groups difference was found. Generally, these results suggest the following: (1) patients may be selected credibly for relaxation-biofeedback treatment by use of the MMPI; (2) patients who exhibit significant anxiety and tension may achieve lower levels of tension during training than patients with lower levels of pretreatment anxiety.