입원한 주정중독환자의 임상적 호전도와 자아강도와의 관계

Relationship between Clinical Improvement and Ego Strength of Hospitalized Alcoholics

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between clinical improvement and ego strength (Es) of hospitalized alcoholics, and to prove whether Es could be an index predicting the prognosis of alcoholics. The subjects consisted of 42 male alcoholics and 25 normal males. The M M PI(566 items) was administered to the both groups, and it was readministered to alcoholics one month later. From their MMPI responses, Es scores of Barron’ s Ego Strength Scale(68 items) were scored and compared with each other. Clinical improvement of alcoholics was rated by psychiatrists at the same time of 2nd test of the MMPI. The results were as follows ; 1) Es score of alcoholics at the beginning of hositalization was significantly lower than that of normals, but there was no significant difference between Es score of alcoholics one month later and that of normals. 2) Alcoholics were divided vinto three subgroups (Es low group, Es middle group and Es high group) by the half of standard deviation of Es score, then Es scores of first and second of test among three subgroups were compared. Es middle group showed a significant higher Es score of second test than of first one while Es low group showed a probable tendency. However, in Es high group there was no significant difference between Es score of first and second test. 3) In rating of clinical improvement, alcoholics of Es middle group were rated as significantly improved comparing with those of Es low group and Es high one. Form the above results, it was concluded that Es could be used as an index predicting the prognosis of alcoholics, and medium Es score would most appriately predict improvement