THE TALKER IN TALKING THERAPIES

Key studies on the impact of the practitioner in psychosocial therapies for alcohol dependence. Structured around Carl Rogers’ classic account of the “necessary and sufficient conditions” for effective therapy. Highlights the seminal alcohol study that validated empathy, understanding and warmth, and explores three key issues:
- Is Rogerian ‘sounding board’ listening really all that’s needed?
- Does being genuine entail contravening other Rogerian mandates?
- If therapists are influential, why don’t more studies register their effects?

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THE COMMON CORE OF EFFECTIVE THERAPIES

Starting point in last week’s exploration of psychosocial therapies was 2018’s “impressively wise overview” of research on ‘common factors’ they share from a task force with the authority of the American Psychological Association. It was the third such project, the first of which in 1999 represented a turning point in a movement which dates back at least to 1936 and Saul Rosenzweig’s brief seminal paper, elaborated 25 years later by Jerome Frank into one of the most influential books on psychosocial therapy. Explore with us these landmarks and how they...

THE TALKING ROUTE TO RECOVERY

Every treatment involves human interaction, but this cell is about therapies in which interaction is the intended active ingredient – ‘psychosocial’ therapies, the mainstay of alcohol dependence treatment. Starts with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) “impressively wise overview” of the features shared by effective therapies and highlights the £1.5 million UK trial of a new therapy; why were the researchers’ expectations confounded? Then asks whether therapy can make things worse, argues that guidance has been misled into advocating packaged...

The Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA) is supporting the Commission on Alcohol Harm: An Inquiry into the Effects of Alcohol on Society.

The Commission was established to examine the current evidence on alcohol harm, recent trends in alcohol harm and the changes needed to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. 

The Commission examined the need for a new comprehensive alcohol strategy for England, which takes account of the strategies in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and considers UK-wide priorities in areas where policy is not devolved. 

The publication is structured around the...

TREATMENT SYSTEMS TRANSCEND INDIVIDUAL SERVICES

Online course on alcohol treatment research moves out to the level of whole treatment systems, highlighting the simple US innovation which routed detoxification recyclers into longer term remission, freeing up expensive resources. See if your vision of a ‘good’ service corresponds with that of an expert group. One criterion might be responding appropriately to mental illness; explore with us whether Britain is making progress on organising care at the substantial overlap between problem drinking and mental illness.

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THE TREATMENT ORGANISATION IS THE HEALING CONTEXT

We said that of the treatment of problem drinking in general, and it remains the case for specifically medical treatments. Cell D3 focuses on that context at the level of the treatment or healthcare organisation, drawing on seminal and key research to ask:
- Do higher quality primary care practices do better alcohol treatment, or is this an unrelated niche activity?
- Evidence-based innovation: always a good thing, or an outcome-eroding burden?
- Is alcohol treatment helped or hindered when medical care is part of the package? Research shows...

According to the WHO, harmful alcohol use is one of the leading risk factors for the global burden of disease.

In response to concerning trends, governments around the world have intervened in the market for alcohol by levying specific taxes.  

In 2008, the government of Botswana imposed a 30% tax levy on all alcohol products to deal with problematic drinking in the country. The levy was initially set at 70% but was reduced to 30%.

Research into the effectiveness of these measures typically focusses on alcohol sales and self-reported levels of consumption. However, an area less understood...

On the 12th of July, in a bid to reduce the volume of trauma patients so hospitals have more beds open to treat COVID-19 patients, President Cyril Ramaphosa reintroduced the alcohol ban.

South Africa originally introduced a ban on all alcohol sales on 27 March. However, as lockdown restrictions were reviewed the ban was lifted.

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, however, since the sale and distribution of alcohol was reintroduced in June, hospitals have experienced a spike in admissions in their trauma and emergency wards.

The South African government has faced pressure from the...