Alcohol Abuse Treatment, 1992 Drug and Alcohol Abuse Reviews Series, Vol. 3

A major national goal is to improve the health of the populace while advancing our opportunities to pursue happiness. Simulta­ neously, there are both increasing health costs and increasing demands that more be accomplished with less financial support. The number of deaths attributable to the consumption of alcohol in the US is about 100,000 per year, and the annual cost of this addiction is over $100 billion. Improved treatment methods can both reduce these costs and improve health by preventing the continued exposure of abusers to the toxic effects of alcohol. This third volume of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Reviews focuses on the strategies currently thought best for the treatment of alcohol and tobacco abuse. A variety of approaches to treating alcohol abuse employ those psychosocial factors that are known to influence alcohol use in youth and adults. Pharmacotherapy has also been evaluated at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism by leaders in alcohol treatment research. One key review investigates forming a developmental framework for the treatment of adolescent alcohol abusers, a major challenge. Although the main emphasis is on the treatment of alcoholism, a major cofactor for many drug users is nicotine (tobacco) addiction, whose treatment is also reviewed. And the roles of learning and outpatient services are shown to affect treatment significantly. Thus, the problems confronted and solutions used in alcohol abuse treatment have here been analyzed in concise reviews that provide evidence for today's best hypoth­ eses and conclusions.

Psychosocial Factors That Influence American Adults' Alcohol Consumption. Promising Themes in Alcoholism Treatment Research. Research Advances in Pharmacotherapy for Alcoholism. Toward a Developmental Framework for the Treatment of Adolescent Alcohol Abuse: Current Findings and Future Directions. Alcoholism Treatment Mismatching from a Process of Change Perspective. Relationship Between Alcoholism Treatment and Health Care Utilization: Issues and Trends. The Dehydration Theory of Alcohol Intoxication: Relevance to Treatment Issues. Utilizing Alcoholism Treatment Research Findings in Clinical Practice. Alcohol-Related Expectancies and Their Applications to Treatment. The Role of Learning in Alcohol Tolerance in Humans. Treatment Implications of a Hybrid Model for the Classification of Alcoholism. Thyroid Hormones and Alcoholism. ACTH and Alcohol Consummatory Behavior. Index.