NCJ Number
127030
Journal
Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 46 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 500-506
Date Published
1990
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper describes a study of interpersonal types among 135 male veteran alcohol abusers at the Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center using the Calsy, Roszell, and Andersons' (1988) 9-type modification of the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) profiles. It also compares the frequency of types that occurred in this group with the frequency of types for a sample of veteran drug abusers, a normative veteran sample, and a general population sample reported by Calsyn et al. in 1988.
Abstract
The data show that both the drug abuser and alcohol abuser groups are similar in frequency of loners, rebels, and pessimist types. This differentiates them from the non-substance abusing population. In comparison to the normative population, the alcohol abusing patients were more likely to be classified as loners and pessimists, but did not differ significantly in the frequency of occurrence of the rebel types. However, despite the preference for social isolation, rejection of authority and responsibility, and avoidance of intimacy in their interpersonal relationships, the alcohol abusers as well as the drug abusers are comprised of heterogenous groups. The results of the present study support the use of combined treatment of these two clinical groups in the same program setting. 3 tables and 21 references (Author abstract modified)