Treatment settings for persons with alcoholism: Evidence for matching clients to inpatient versus outpatient care

This study compared inpatient, intensive outpatient, and standard outpatien t treatment settings for persons with alcoholism and tested a priori hypoth eses about the interaction of setting with client alcohol involvement and s ocial network support for drinking. Participants (N = 192) were assigned ra ndomly in cohorts to 1 of the 3 settings. The settings did not differ in po sttreatment primary drinking outcomes, although inpatients had significantl y fewer jail and residential treatment days combined than outpatients. Clie nts high in alcohol involvement benefited more from inpatient than outpatie nt care; the opposite was true at low alcohol involvement levels. Network d rinking support did not moderate setting effects. Clients low in cognitive functioning also appeared to benefit more from inpatient than outpatient ca re. Improved outcomes might he achieved by matching degree of alcohol invol vement and cognitive functioning to level of care.