Outpatient treatment based on the "minnesoto model" as one alternative for alcoholics arrested for driving while intoxicated (dwi) was examined. Dwi arrestees (n.543) Who were court-referred for chemical abuse treatment were compared with 827 non-dwi and non-court-referred patients in the same outpatient treatment programs. Results indicate that dwi arrestees tended to be younger and unmarried but were more likely to complete treatment. Their drinking was characterized more as an episode use in a social context with less solitary use, continuous use, or use as a response to negative feelings. Althoughthe dwi patients in this study were all alcoholics, as a group theyappear to represent a generally less advanced stage of alcoholism than the non-dwi sample. Posttreatment follow-up measures at 6 monthson subsamples of the patients demonstrated improvement for both dwiand non-dwi patients in virtually all areas assessed. Few outcome differences between dwi and non-dwi groups were found. The results indicate that outpatient substance abuse treatment may be a viable andvital component in any integrated policy on drunken driving.
Abstract