Life skills training and booster sessions plus drinking reduction treatment was effective in heavily drinking women.

Participants 144 self referred women who were >21 years of age (mean age 39 y), drank >15 drinks/week or had >2 drinking days/week of 6 drinks/day, were interested in reducing their alcohol consumption, scored in the lower half of the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ie, moderate levels of alcohol dependence symptoms), had normal liver function tests, and were not pregnant. Exclusion criteria included previous hospital admission for drinking or drug use, previous detoxification from alcohol or any other drug, current alcohol related legal charges, current psychiatric treatment, and hospital admission in the past 5 years. 92% of women provided complete follow up drinking data. Intervention Women were allocated to DRT alone {n=31}†, DRT plus life skills training {n=39}†, DRT plus booster sessions {n=41}†, or DRT plus life skills training and booster sessions {n=33}†. Treatment was given in weekly 2 hour sessions in groups of 3–6 women over 10 weeks. Each group received 13 hours of DRT plus 7 hours of life skills training or a control treatment (alcohol and general health related lectures and videotapes). DRT involved teaching strategies for reducing and controlling alcohol intake and target exercises for homework. Life skills training included relaxation, problem solving, assertiveness skills, communication training, and target exercises for homework. Booster sessions were given in person or by phone at 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 20, and 24 weeks after treatment.