A comparison of substance abuse patients' and counselors' perceptions of relapse risk - Relationship to actual relapse

This study compared substance abuse patients' and their counselors' percept ions of relapse risk during treatment and evaluated whether these perceptio ns predict actual relapse 2 years later. Participants (N = 240) completed t he Relapse Risk Index (RRI), which assesses confidence in abilities and nee d for services across four domains: coping skills, social support, resource s, and leisure activities. Participants reported greater confidence and gre ater needs than counselors reported. Determinants of counselors' relapse ri sk perceptions included income, whereas participants' perceptions were rela ted to polysubstance use. Counselors' ratings of coping skills predicted al cohol relapse; counselors' ratings did not predict drug relapse. Participan ts' ratings of coping skills and leisure activities predicted alcohol relap se; social support predicted drug relapse. When including background charac teristics, counselors' ratings did not predict alcohol or drug relapse; par ticipants' ratings predicted alcohol relapse but not drug relapse. Findings suggest the potential utility of considering patient perceptions to unders tand and possibly prevent relapse. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All right s reserved.