Group psychological education film pathway for alcoholics and their families: a study on changes

Abstract

This research evaluates the individual traits and family system dysfunctional habits modification of participants in the multi-family psychological education group 'Primo Percorso' (GPP) of the alcohology service NOA Perini - ASST Fatebenefratelli - Sacco, Milano. This is constituted by a multi-discipline team (physicians, systemic psychologists psychotherapists, social worker and professional educator). The GPP was created to allow participants to work on themselves, on their own personal story and on their dysfunctional family relationships with tools that stem from reflecting on 12 topics, which are explained and developed by a therapist also through film watching. The sample we analysed is assembled by 46 patients. The following variables were measured: alexithymia, avoidance coping strategies, self-esteem, quality of life and psychological distress. From the results it emerges that by the end of the treatment program alcoholic patients and their relatives show improved self-esteem and an increase in general and relational functioning. There is a decrease in perceived stress, in the use of avoidance coping strategies, and in symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as physical ones. There is no evidence of significant changes in the alexithymia variable. The effect of the group factor (alcoholic patient with/without relative) was significant only for the avoidance variable. Both patients and relatives show an improvement in all the evaluated variables except for alexithymia by the end of the treatment. Relatives have a positive effect in the patient's change in relation to the coping strategies, that are poorer in the subjects with their own relatives in the group compared with those who are alone.