Three groups of outpatient alcoholics treated with disulfiram (group 1: high abstinence clinic attenders; group 2: low abstinence clinic attenders; group 3: clinic dropouts) were matched to control nondisulfiram patients with respect to variables thought to influence outcome in all kinds of alcoholism treatment. Only group 1 patients did better while on disulfiram than controls. Compared with group 2 and 3 patients, they were older, had a relatively long history of heavy drinking, were less likely to be depressed, and were more likely to have had delirium tremens (DT's) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) contact, to be abstinent on admission, and to rate high on motivation