Posttreatment drinking behavior among inpatients from an industrial alcoholism program.

Findings from a follow-up study of inpatients from an industrial alcoholism program are presented. At 3-month follow-up, 46% were abstinent and 22% drinking moderately; at 9 months, 37% were abstinent and 20% drinking moderately. Moderate drinkers at 3 months had a high relapse rate by 9 months. In comparing moderate drinkers at 9 months to abstainers and to those drinking destructively, it was found that moderate drinkers were more similar to abstainers than to destructive drinkers on most variables. Relationships between drinking outcomes and several sets of predictor variables are presented and discussed. From these data it is evident that social support (being married, family involved in treatment, AA and/or religious involvement) is crucial in recovery from alcoholism, that employer's involvement had a positive influence, that coercion for treatment did not have a negative impact, that prior job problems had a delayed negative impact, and that treatment outcome for earlier-phase alcoholics was relatively poor in comparison to "chronic" cases in this program.