Peer identification and empirical validation of problematic interpersonal situations of male drug addicts

The present research was concerned with identifying and validating the problematic interpersonal situations of male veteran drug addicts. In Study I, 20 addicts self-monitored the situations with which they had difficulty coping and their associated characteristics throughout a 2-week period. Fifty situations were obtained and then rewritten into specific interpersonal scenarios. In Study II, a second group of 36 addicts and a comparison group of 20 disabled veterans rated the commonality and difficulty of each scenario along seven-point scales. Univariate ANOVAs found that five scenarios received ratings greater than four on both scales and were associated with significantly higher ratings by the addicts. These preliminary scenarios may serve as role-play situations during social-skills assessment and training and may provide further information regarding the interpersonal determinants of relapse occasioned in the natural environment. The need for controlled comparison studies using behavioral measures and an overall improvement in the methodological rigor of research in the area is discussed.The authors acknowledge the editorial comments of Ted D. Nirenberg, Ph.D., on an earlier draft of this paper. Portions of these data were presented at the Fifth World Congress on Behavior Therapy, Washington, DC.