The Characteristics of Alcoholics as Related to Prediction of Therapeutic Outcome

Abstract

Various sociological and psychological characteristics at the time of applying for treatment were studied in groups of successfully rehabilitated alcoholics and in those who did not respond to treatment. Statistically highly significant differences were found between successful and unsuccessful patients in marital status, economic resources, usual occupation, arrest record, motivation, intellectual functioning, psychiatric diagnosis and certain aspects of the Rorschach test. Simple weighting and combination of these items produced a prognostic index which correctly identified 80% of a validation group of 60 outpatients at the D. C. Alcoholic Clinic.