COMPARISON OF ALCOHOLICS SELF-REPORTS OF DRINKING BEHAVIOR WITH REPORTS OF COLLATERAL INFORMANTS

Collected 6-mo posthospitalization follow-up data from 52 alcoholics and their collateral informants. Ss' self-reports and collateral reports of Ss' drinking were highly correlated when Ss had been either mostly abstinent or mostly drunk throughout the follow-up period. Findings suggest that (a) alcoholics who have been hospitalized for detoxification generally provide reliable self-reports of their posttreatment drinking behavior, and (b) gathering data from collateral informants is an effective method for corroborating alcoholics' self-reports of drinking behavior. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.