Changing perceptions about self-change and moderate-drinking recoveries from alcohol problems: What can and should be done?

Despite abundant indications that resolutions from alcohol problems without treatment are common, there appears to be little awareness that such recov eries occur and a general skepticism regarding their possibility. This pape r presents results from a study investigating the impact of hypothetical ne wspaper articles about self-change and moderate-drinking recoveries on subj ects' beliefs. It is concluded that newspaper articles do not appear to hav e much impact on the public's perceptions. The importance of modifying the general public's knowledge about recoveries from alcohol problems without t reatment are discussed.