Coping-skills training (CST) and cue-exposure treatment (CET) are sum of two units relatively new approaches in alcoholism treatment.

Coping-skills training (CST) and cue-exposure treatment (CET) are sum of two units relatively new approaches in alcoholism treatment. With CST the therapist tries to strengthen the patient's skills in coping with situations associated with a high risk of drinking. These skills can be specific to certain high-risk situations or involve general social skills. Specific CST treatment approaches include relapse prevention training, social or communication skills training, urgespecific coping-skills training, and cognitive-behavioral disposition management training. Several studies have shown that CST can be more effective than comparison treatments in improving the result (e.g., the frequency and severity of relapses) of alcoholic patients. CET show in one's real lights the patient to alcohol-related intimations (e.g., the sight or perfume of alcohol), thereby allowing the patient to practice answers to such cues in real-life situations. In addition, CET teaches a variety of coping skills for dealing with drives caused by such cues. not many studies have examine d the effectiveness of CET yet the existing results demonstrate favorable treatment consequences (e.g., reduced drinking severity). explanation WORDS: Coping skills; alcohol cue; AODU (alcohol and other put drugs into use) treatment method; relapse prevention; patient education; treatment outcome; skills building; interpersonal skills; cognitive therapy; behavior therapy; AOD (alcohol and other drug) craving; social learning theory; literature review

In modern years, several exciting advances have provided clinicians with just discovered tools in alcoholism treatment that have flowed in improved outcomes (e.g., lower relapse rates, reduc drinking evens and improved health status) for alcoholic patients. sum of two units of these new tools are coping-skills training (CST) and cue-exposure treatment (GET) CST aims to enhance the patient's coping skills and provide him or her with specific strategies for coping with the instigate to drink. Conversely, GET bares the patient to alcoholrelated rods (e.g., alcoholic beverages) during therapy, thereby allowing the patient the opportunity to practice using coping skills in reply to the urge to drink within the safe environment of a treatment setting. Researchers hypothesize that as a spring of coping-skills practice, patients will be perceived less overwhelmed by urge-provoking situations and, therefore, les likely to relapse after treatment. This article reviews the conceptual bases and regularitys of CST and GET and also summarizes the resu lt of issue studies that have assessed the effectiveness of the pair approaches.

COPING-SKILLS TRAINING

Conceptual Overview

CST and the related treatment approach of social skills training have evolv from several decades of research based forward social learning theory. According to social learning theory several factors can increase the likelihood that an alcoholic will relapse when opposeed with a stressful situation or with another situation that is associated with a high risk of drinking (eg attending a party where alcohol is served) Influential factors include limited skills in coping with stressful or high-risk situations, expectations that alcohol will have a positive or pleasurable issue in these situations (i.e., positive issue expectancies), and the belief that the someone cannot effectively cope with the situation without drinking (i.e., subdued self-efficacy expectations) (Marlatt and Gordon 1985)

Skills training is designed to address the aforementioned risk factors in several ways. First, clinicians can train patients in using coping skills specific to certain high-risk situations (eg refusing drink offers) to improve the patients' skillfulness in handling similar situations in the coming events Second, therapists can teach their patients general social skills that will spring in improved sober relationships and reduc conflict in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but family and work relationships. This improvement in social skills can diminish the two the drinkers' stress levels and the number of high-risk situations they meeting while simultaneously increasing their social supports for abstinence. Third, as a deduction of stronger coping and social skills, patients will likely bring out increased self-efficacy expectations and, consequently be more likely to effectively utilize those skills in high-risk situations.

Several lines of evidence support the importance of skills training for alcoholics. First, studies indicate that alcoholics' coping skills are inferior to the coping skills of nonalcoholics, particularly in situations that commonly stagger a risk of relapse, so as a family conflict or parties at which alcohol is serv (Monti et al. 1989) next to the first the skill levels that patients display in part plays of high-risk situations predict patient result after alcoholism treatment. For example, Monti and colleagues (1990) institute that patients with low evens of coping skills in part plays consumed more alcohol during their first 6 month after treatment than did patients who had bring outed strong coping skills. Similarly, depressed skill levels, as measured by way of an inventory of coping skills during treatment followup also predicted relapse during the after 2 months (Miller et al. 1996) Third, alcoholics with subdued self-efficacy or with a high spur to drink during role plays of high-risk situations drank spot during the 6 months following treatment (Monti et al. 1990) than did their high self-efficacy, low-urge counterparts.