COMPARISONS OF THE NAVY ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROGRAM WITH OTHER ALCOHOL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 67944
• Author(s): D KOLB; P COBEN; E K E GUNDERSON
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 29 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of the Navy; US Dept of the Navy
• Corporate Author: US Dept of the Navy
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY COMPARES THE NAVY ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROGRAM (NASAP), WHICH IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG NAVY PERSONNEL, WITH OTHER ALCOHOL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE TO COMPARE POSTTREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS FOR NASAP AND ALCOHOL REHABILITATION PARTICIPANTS; DETERMINE CORRELATES OF POSTTREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS FOR BOTH POPULATIONS; ESTIMATE THE EXTENT OF ALCOHOLISM AMONG NASAP PARTICIPANTS; COMPARE OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUAL NASAP FACILITIES; AND EXAMINE RATES OF DISCIPLINARY DIFFICULTIES BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT FOR BOTH NASAP AND REHABILITATION PARTICIPANTS. RESEARCHERS ANALYZED THE RECORDS OF 3,435 NAVY ENLISTED MEN ADMITTED TO NASAP IN 1977 OR 1978 ALONG WITH 5,481 MEN ADMITTED TO OTHER ALCOHOL REHABILITATION FACILITIES DURING THE SAME PERIOD. THESE TWO POPULATIONS WERE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS OF MEN 25 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER AND 26 YEARS OLD OR OLDER AND ASKED TO FILL OUT QUESTIONNAIRES. THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES POINTED TO FIVE VARIABLES AS FACTORS IN EARLY IDENTIFICATION: (1) ALCOHOLIC BY BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA; (2) FAMILY ALCOHOLISM; (3) SOCIOPATHY; (4) EARLIEST AGE ALCOHOL PROBLEM; AND (5) FAMILY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. IT WAS FOUND THAT 88 PERCENT OF THE NASAP YOUNGER PARTICIPANTS AND 97 PERCENT OF THE NASAP OLDER PARTICIPANTS WERE EFFECTIVELY TREATED BY THE PROGRAM. FOR REHABILITATION PARTICIPANTS, THE RATES OF EFFECTIVENESS WERE 75 PERCENT FOR YOUNGER AND 92 PERCENT FOR OLDER. THE BEST INDICATOR FOR ESTIMATING THE EXTENT AMONG THE NASAP PARTICIPANTS WAS THE VARIABLE ALCOHOLIC BY BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA WHICH IDENTIFIED 20 PERCENT OF THE NASAP POPULATION AS ALCOHOLIC. WHILE EFFECTIVENESS RATES WERE VERY HIGH FOR BOTH NASAP AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS, BOTH YOUNGER AND OLDER NASAP PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER EFFECTIVENESS RATES THAN OTHER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. THE STUDY RECOMMENDS THAT THE SOCIOPATHY SCALE OR AN ALTERNATIVE SCALE REFLECTING DISCIPLINARY HISTORY SHOULD BE USED TO SCREEN OUT YOUNGER MEN WHO ARE LEAST LIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE NAVY, WHILE THE ALCOHOLIC BY BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA SCALE SHOULD BE USED AS A SCREENING TOOL TO AID IN APPROPRIATE REFERRAL TO NASAP OR OTHER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. TABLES AND A REPORT FORM ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)