Abstract
Over the past 50 years, there has been increased research acknowledging that partner-and familyinvolved treatments produce better outcomes across several domains of functioning compared to individual-based interventions. Yet, despite impressive empirical evidence supporting their efficacy, couple-and family-based interventions for substance use have not been widely adopted in clinical practice. The purpose of the current paper is to provide support for the use of family/couple’s therapy for the treatment of substance use disorders by discussing empirical evidence, potential barriers and impediments to implementation (both for clients and therapists), and recommendations for areas of future research.
Highlights
Over the past 50 years, there has been increased research acknowledging that partner-and familyinvolved treatments produce better outcomes across several domains of functioning compared to individual-based interventions
Substance abuse treatment was characterized by the belief that substance misuse was an individual problem, best treated on an individual basis [1]
The purpose of the current paper is to provide support for the use of family/couple’s therapy for the treatment of substance use by discussing empirical evidence supporting their use, potential barriers to implementation among clients and therapists, and recommendations for specific areas of future research
Summary
Over the past several decades, there has been increased research acknowledging that partner-and family-involved treatments produce better outcomes across several domains of functioning compared to individual-based interventions. There may be legal restrictions in place (i.e., restraining orders, no contact orders) that automatically rule out conjoint family sessions as a treatment option Another potential barrier to couples and family therapy is the presence of family members and/or partners with co-occurring substance abuse. Research on concordant-using couples is lacking, though it is recommended that individual therapy be used as the primary treatment modality due to varying levels of commitment to change and the recovery process amongst members Another barrier to family-based interventions for substance abuse is the perceived possibility for increased blame and shame from family members toward the client [9]. The complexity of couples and family approaches may contribute to clinician hesitance/avoidance to using these modalities which may explain why the majority of clinicians conduct individual psychotherapy (98%), as compared couples (49%) and family therapy (34%)
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