Fifteen-month follow-up of social skills and cognitive-relaxation approaches to general anger reduction.

This article presents a 15-month follow-up of a study by J. L. Deffenbacher, G. A. Thwaites, T. L. Wallace, and E. R. Oetting (1994) that compared inductive social skills training (ISST) to skill assembly social skills training (SASST) and cognitive-relaxation coping skills (CRCS) interventions for general anger reduction in college students. Compared with the control group at 15-month follow-up, counseled groups reported lower trait anger, general anger, anger across many situations, and anger-related physiological arousal ; less anger suppression and outward negative expression ; and greater calm, controlled expression. ISST and CRCS participants also reported less anger in their worst ongoing, angering situation. More counseled participants showed clinically significant improvement on trait anger as well. In none of these comparisons did counseled groups differ among themselves. No treatment effects were found on nontargeted assertiveness and trait anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of long-term efficacy of treatments and of the importance of long-term follow-up.