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Behavioral couples and family therapy for substance abusers
Timothy J O'Farrell1, William Fals-Stewart
1Harvard Families and Addiction Program, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School at the VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA 02301, USA. timothy_ofarrell@hms.harvard.edu
Current Psychiatry Reports
|September 17, 2002
Summary
Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) significantly improves abstinence and relationship functioning for substance abusers compared to individual treatment. This approach also benefits children and can be integrated with other therapies.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Behavioral Psychology
- Family Therapy
Background:
- Substance abuse significantly impacts individuals, relationships, and families.
- Traditional individual-based treatments have limitations in addressing the relational and social contexts of addiction.
- Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) offers a relational approach to substance abuse treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the evidence base for Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) in treating substance abuse.
- To highlight recent advances and expanded applications of BCT.
- To underscore the benefits of BCT beyond individual abstinence.
Main Methods:
- BCT involves a "sobriety contract" between the patient and spouse, including medication monitoring.
- Therapy incorporates communication skills training and increasing positive activities.
- Recent studies have extended BCT to diverse populations and integrated it with other treatments.
Main Results:
- BCT demonstrates superior abstinence rates and relationship functioning compared to individual therapy.
- BCT has been shown to reduce social costs and domestic violence.
- Positive effects extend to women drug abusers and have indirect benefits for children.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral Couples Therapy is an effective, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse.
- BCT offers significant advantages over individual treatment, improving both patient outcomes and relationship dynamics.
- Ongoing research and integration efforts continue to expand the reach and efficacy of BCT.