Use of a structured brief intervention in a group setting for family members living with substance misuse

Abstract

The development of a brief structured intervention for family members of substance misusers is an important contribution to a growing area of work, which is focused on developing specific help for family members in their own right. Previous testing of the intervention in primary care and specialist drug and alcohol services has produced promising results, namely a reduction in negative symptomatology and the impact of the problem as well as positive changes in coping behaviour. The introduction of the intervention as part of services to families within a voluntary service in Bristol in South West England provided an opportunity to test the integration of the intervention into a weekly themed group programme for family members. Results indicated that the intervention can be successfully used in this way, with change occurring as expected across several domains for the family members. Further work is needed to enhance understanding of how the model functions in a group setting. Given the current climate of increased recognition of the needs of family members, which is meaning that services are being increasingly called upon to work in a less individualistic and more holistic way, there is potential for such an approach in a group setting.