Helping Agents' Attitudes Towards Alcohol-related Problems: situations vacant? A test and elaboration of a model

An elaboration of Cartwright's (1980) model explaining agents' negative attitudes to responding to alcohol-related problems (ARPs) is presented. Rather than Role Support, Experience, Education and Self-esteem per se being seen as the main variables with effect on therapeutic attitude, it is argued that the effects of these factors are best viewed as contingent upon situational influences operating within agents' occupational contexts. An attempt was made to isolate some of these influences by comparing the work situations of 24 Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs) and 24 Social Workers. Correlational data suggested that an index of Situational Constraint, although it was not independent of Role Support and Experience, could reliably predict levels of attitudes towards ARPs. It was found that CPNs expressed significantly more positive therapeutic attitudes towards drinkers than either ‘long-term’ generic, or medical, Social Workers, but were also working under less Situational Constraint. It is concluded that social workers do not attain such deep levels of involvement in ARPs as CPNs owing to their more constraining work environments. They are, therefore, less open to ARP educational events and are less likely to develop role support contacts. Recommendations for future role support provision and training programmes are briefly outlined.