FOSTERING SELF-CHANGE AMONG PROBLEM DRINKERS - A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY INTERVENTION

This paper describes the rationale and design for a recently implement ed study involving a community-based intervention designed to foster s elf-change for individuals who otherwise would be unlikely to seek for mal help or treatment for their alcohol problem. The study is based on research examining natural recovery processes with alcohol abusers an d on clinical trials using a Guided Self-Change model of treatment wit h problem drinkers. Advertisements and mailed pamphlets are used to so licit individuals who wanted to change their drinking on their own usi ng self-help materials. Respondents are screened and, if eligible, are randomly assigned to two conditions: Guided Self-Change (GSC) or Educ ational Materials Control (EMC) (projected N = 788). All subjects comp lete and mail in several brief assessment forms. Subjects in the GSC g roup receive advice and personalized feedback based on their assessmen t answers. Subjects in the EMC group receive educational pamphlets pre pared for general medical and mental health settings. Subject characte ristics and drinking-related history variables for the first 10% of th e sample are presented. Subjects will be followed up at 12 months foll owing the intervention.