THE USE OF A STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW AS AN INTERVENTION TO REDUCE DROPOUT RATES IN OUTPATIENT RELAPSE PREVENTION GROUPS FOR PROBLEMDRINKERS

The problem of dropout rates in outpatient relapse prevention goups fo r ''problem'' drinkers is addressed. To test the hypothesis that the d ropout rates were due to anxiety and lack of clarity among the partici pants about the purpose and expectations of the group, a structured in duction was developed. The results obtained show that the induction ma de a significant difference in reducing the dropout rate. These findin gs can also be applied to other outpatient groups.