Date of Award
Summer 1986
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Topetzs, Nich J.
Second Advisor
Nordberg, Robert B.
Third Advisor
Tagatz, Glenn E.
Abstract
In today's health setting, the ability to predict the efficacy of any therapeutic intervention is important for a variety of reasons. In addition to the recently underscored economic reasons (Marshall, 1979), there are both theoretical and practical implications which can be summoned from such data. Assessment and diagnosis are directed toward the selection of a treatment approach which possesses the highest probability of a successful outcome. The development of accurate predictors of therapeutic outcome is essential to mental health treatment. A considerable amount of today's health care dollars is directed toward the treatment of "alcoholism" (alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse, DSM-III, 1980). The social and economic costs of these disorders are enormous with estimates running in excess of 30 billion dollars per annum (Berry and Boland, 1971). A common problem in the treatment of alcoholism is "dropouts." Dropouts are patients who fail to complete treatment; and because of the costs, alcoholism treatment programs expend considerable effort in identifying high risk dropouts (Baekeland, et al. 1975)...