The Minnesota Model in the Treatment Of Addictions - A Social Psychological-Assessment Of Changes In Beliefs And Attributions

Changes in beliefs and attitudes that accompany Minnesota Model (MM) treatment are examined in terms of Brickman et al.'s Compensatory Model of coping, and Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour. Questionnaires were completed both on intake and at discharge, by 61 patients who successfully completed treatment at a residential MM facility. The questionnaires measured the patients' attributions of responsibility for the cause of, and for recovery from, their addictions, and their beliefs about outcomes, normative pressures and personal control with respect to their abstinence. It is shown that between intake and discharge there is a marked reduction in the patients' feelings of personal responsibility for their addiction, whilst their sense of personal control over their recovery increases significantly. In general, the patients' evaluations of recovery were more favourable on discharge than on intake, although little change was observed in the overall level of perceived normative pressure, or in the importance of taking a range of practical steps to facilitate recovery. When viewed in relation to Brickman et al. and Ajzen's models, these findings place the MM in a favourable light. The results of this study are considered in relation to changes that might be expected among patients undergoing other forms of treatment.