Cognitive-behavioral coping-skills therapy for alcohol dependence - Current status and future directions

Cognitive-behavioral coping-skills training (CBST) is an alcoholism treatme nt approach aimed at improving the patients' cognitive and behavioral skill s for changing their drinking behavior CBST encompasses a variety of approa ches that despite their core similarities differ in duration, modality, con tent, and treatment setting. Numerous studies and reviews have ranked CBST among the most effective approaches for treating alcoholic patients. Nevert heless, a recent analysis of nine studies failed to identify specific CBST components that could account for the treatment's effectiveness, Furthermor e, a similar analysis of 26 studies suggested that CBST's superior effectiv eness was limited to specific treatment contexts (i.e., when delivered as p art of a comprehensive treatment program) and to specific patient subgroups (e.g. patients with less severe alcohol dependence). Several measures may help broaden CBST's focus and effectiveness, such as incorporating componen ts of other treatment approaches.