Determinants of Relapse among Alcoholics: A Cross-Cultural Replication Study

Abstract

This study reports on a replication of Marlatt and Gordon's (1980) findings concerning relapse determinants among alcoholics. It was undertaken in a somewhat different drinking culture (Sweden) and with a group of alcoholics also containing patients relapsing after a longer period of abstinence than those in the Marlatt and Gordon study. The difference in drinking culture is reflected in the finding that most subjects in this study took their first drink at home. The group studied by Marlatt and Gordon in Seattle most frequently started to drink in a bar or restaurant. In spite of the differences between the groups, we arrive at a similar picture when it comes to the distribution of relapse determinants according to the model proposed by Marlatt and Gordon. The categories not only have face validity but also construct validity, reflected in meaningful correlations with results on an intelligence test and a personality inventory. A descriptive analysis shows that subjects with poorer results on the intelligence test and having a high tendency to muscle tension and somatized anxiety tended to relapse in intrapersonal situations. Patients who do not readily adjust to other persons' opinions relapsed in interpersonal conflicts, and patients who are more impulsive could not resist social pressure to drink.