POSTTREATMENT ABSTINENCE SURVIVORSHIP AND MOTIVATION FOR RECOVERY - THE PREDICTIVE-VALIDITY OF THE READINESS TO CHANGE (RCQ) AND NEGATIVE ALCOHOL EXPECTANCY (NAEQ) QUESTIONNAIRES

Two different methods of assessing alcohol-dependent clients' motivati on for change or recovery on admission to a hospital-based, day-treatm ent alcohol problems unit were compared in their ability to predict po st-treatment abstinence survivorship in a follow-up study. The Readine ss-for-Change (RCQ, Heather et at, 1991) and the Negative Alcohol Expe ctancy Questionnaires (NAEQ, McMahon and Jones 1993b) each reliably pr edicted the length of time to relapse to a first drink when (i) indivi dually and (ii) jointly included in an exponential regression analysis of survival data. RCQ and NAEQ representations of client motivation w ere uncorrelated and it was concluded that they must be representing d ifferent components. It was speculated that whereas the NAEQ explicitl y assessed an individual's expected negative consequences following co nsumption, the RCQ carried out an implicit assessment additionally inc orporating value judgements. Possible difficulties were identified in extending the use of the RCQ from excessive drinkers advised to reduce drinking (and for whom it was developed) to more highly dependent dri nkers aiming at total abstinence, as used in the current study.