NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES AS PREDICTORS OF ABSTINENCE AFTER-DISCHARGE FROM A RESIDENTIAL-TREATMENT PROGRAM - A ONE-MONTH AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP-STUDY IN MEN

Male alcohol dependent clients (N = 53), who were given the Alcohol Ex pectancy Questionnaire and the Negative Alcohol Expectancy Questionnai re upon admission to a residential alcohol treatment program, were suc cessfully followed-up 1 month and 3 months after discharge to assess t heir compliance with the treatment goal of total abstinence. At 1 mont h, neither demographic variables nor alcohol expectancies were associa ted with outcome consumption. At 3 months, however, the demographic va riable, age, total negative expectancy (but not total positive) and th e two subscales, global positive expectancy and continued-drinking neg ative expectancy (representing longer term expected negative consequen ces), were. The potential importance of negative alcohol expectancy in drinking decisions and the limitations of the study were identified.