PORTRAYING ALCOHOL TREATMENT OUTCOMES - DIFFERENT YARDSTICKS OF SUCCESS

An important issue in the alcohol held is how to present treatment out come findings in a way that conveys the nature of the full range of ou tcomes (i.e., how individuals fared). Results should also be presented so as to be readily understood by practitioners. To illustrate how tr eatment outcome reports can be enriched by graphic portrayals of outco me findings, previously unpublished results from a study of Guided Sel f-Change treatment for problem drinkers are first presented in a tradi tional manner. Then, supplemental graphic methods of data reporting, i ncluding the use of frequency distributions and scatter plots, are pre sented. These portrayals are shown to address issues that receive litt le attention in reports limited to statistical analyses. It is also sh own that reported success rates, ''yardsticks of success,'' are highly dependent on small changes in the criteria used to define success.