A trial that failed, and the reasons why: comparing the Minnesota model with outpatient treatment and non-treatment for alcohol disorders.

A randomised clinical trial was conducted in order to compare treatment results between Minnesota model treatment for alcohol abuse and outpatient treatment. The trial had to be discontinued due to problems in recruitment of subjects and a high rate of attrition among subjects allocated to Minnesota model treatment. In this paper the problems encountered during the trial are discussed.

[A pilot study of treatment of alcohol abuse. Marked improvement of alcohol drinking habits of both treated and untreated persons].

The original aim of the study was to compare outcome in a randomised trial of the Minnesota model and of out-patient treatment for alcohol abuse. Owing to recruitment difficulties, and a high drop-out rate in the Minnesota treatment group, the trial had to be discontinued. Thus, the findings chiefly consist in a comparison between outpatient treatment and non-treatment for alcohol abuse after 6, 12 and 18 months of follow-up; no significant differences in outcome between these two groups were found in terms of drinking behaviour or social adjustment.