Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:28:51.722Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electrical Aversion Therapy with Alcoholics: A Comparative Follow-up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. H. Glover  and
P. A. McCue
J. H. Glover
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Stratheden Hospital, Cupar, Fife
P. A. McCue
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Stratheden Hospital, Cupar, Fife
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

A group of alcoholics treated by partially reinforced electrical escape conditioning were found to have a significantly better outcome on follow-up than a selected control group, who showed a parallel level of motivation, and were treated by conventional methods. No sex differences in outcome were found for either group. In the experimental group, better prognosis was associated with higher social class and older age, and poorer prognosis with single marital status. There were no variations in outcome for age in the control group. In the age range 20–40 aversion therapy showed no better results than conventional therapies, but with subjects above this age range it was very significantly superior. The results are discussed with reference to the application of aversion therapy to alcoholism.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 130 , Issue 3 , March 1977 , pp. 279 - 286
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1977 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blake, B. G. (1965) The application of behaviour therapy to the treatment of alcoholism. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 3, 75–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blake, B. G. (1967) A follow-up of alcoholics treated by behaviour therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 5, 89–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gerard, D. L., Saenger, G. & Wile, R. (1962) The abstinent alcoholic. Archives of General Psychiatry, 6, 83–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glatt, M. M. (1961) Treatment results in an English mental hospital alcoholic unit. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 37, 143–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobson, E. (1964) Anxiety and Tension Control, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co.Google Scholar
Jellinek, E. M. (1960) The Disease Concept of Alcoholism. New Haven, Connecticut: Hillhouse Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lemere, F. & Voegtlin, W. L. (1950) An evaluation of the aversion treatment of alcoholism. Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 11, 199–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lovibond, S. H. & Caddy, G. (1970) Discriminated aversive control in the moderation of alcoholics' drinking behaviour. Behaviour Therapy, 1, 437–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lunde, G. E. & Vogler, R. E. (1970) Generalisation of results in studies of aversion conditioning with alcoholics. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 8, 313–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCance, C. & McCance, P. F. (1969) Alcoholism in North-East Scotland: its treatment and outcome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 115, 189–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacCulloch, M. J., Feldman, M. P., Orford, J. E. & MacCulloch, M. L. (1966) Anticipatory avoidance learning in the treatment of alcoholism: a record of therapeutic failure. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 4, 187–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marks, I. M. & Gelder, M. G. (1967) Transvestism and fetishism: clinical and psychological changes during faradic aversion. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 711–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Leary, K. D. & Wilson, G. T. (1975) Behavior Therapy: Application and Outcome, p 360. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Pemberton, D. A. (1967) A comparison of the outcome of treatment in female and male alcoholics. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 367–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rachman, S. (1965) Aversion therapy: chemical or electrical? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2, 289–99.Google Scholar
Registrar General (1970) Classification of Occupations. HMSO, Population Censuses and Surveys Office.Google Scholar
Reinert, R. E. & Bowen, W. T. (1968) Social drinking following treatment for alcoholism. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 32, 280–90.Google ScholarPubMed
Siegel, S. (1956) Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Sobell, M. B., Schaefer, H. H. & Mills, K. C. (1972) Differences in baseline drinking behaviour between alcoholics and normal drinkers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 10, 257–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sobell, M. B. & Sobell, L. C. (1973a) Individualised behaviour therapy for alcoholics. Behaviour Therapy, 4, 49–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sobell, M. B. & Sobell, L. C. (1973b) Evidence of controlled drinking by former alcoholics: a second year evaluation of individualised behaviour therapy. Paper presented at the 81st Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Montreal, 31 August.Google Scholar
Vallance, M. (1965) Alcoholism: a two-year follow-up study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 348–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vogler, R. E., Lunde, S. E., Johnson, G. R. & Martin, P. L. (1970) Electrical aversion conditioning with chronic alcoholics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 34, 302–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.