RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POSTTREATMENT DRINKING AND ALTERNATIVE RESPONSESTO HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS PROPOSED DURING TREATMENT BY PROBLEM DRINKERS

Problem drinkers' alternatives to high-risk situations were evaluated and related to treatment outcome. Participants were 80 problem drinker s (64% males, 36% females) who completed a brief outpatient Guided Sel f-Change treatment. Treatment included a homework exercise where clien ts identified two to three high-risk situations and generated alternat ive responses for each situation. Based on a coding scheme developed b y Moser and Annis (1996), responses were coded as (a) cognitive or beh avioral, and (b) active or avoidant. Results indicated that the propor tion of cognitive coping responses (e.g., thinking through the consequ ences) was positively related to posttreatment improvement. This prosp ective study suggests that intention to use active cognitive coping re sponses influences the relapse process.