15-MONTH FOLLOW-UP OF SOCIAL SKILLS AND COGNITIVE-RELAXATION APPROACHES TO GENERAL ANGER REDUCTION

This article presents a 15-month follow-up of a study by J.L. Deffenba cher, G.A. Thwaites, T.L. Wallace, and E.R. Oetting (1994) that compar ed inductive social skills training (ISST) to skill assembly social sk ills training (SASST) and cognitive-relaxation coping skills (CRCS) in terventions for general anger reduction in college students. Compared with the control group at 15-month follow-up, counseled groups reporte d lower trait anger, general anger, anger across many situations, and anger-related physiological arousal; less anger suppression and outwar d negative expression; and greater calm, controlled expression. ISST a nd CRCS participants also reported less anger in their worst ongoing, angering situation. More counseled participants showed clinically sign ificant improvement on trait anger as well. In none of these compariso ns did counseled groups differ among themselves. No treatment effects were found on nontargeted assertiveness and trait anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of long-term efficacy of treatments and of the imp ortance of long-term follow-up.