This synopsis of the outcome literature on marital and family treatment (MFT) drew three conclusions. First, intervening at the marital/family level with nonalcoholic family members can motivate an initial commitment to change in the alcoholic who is unwilling to seek help. Second, MFT alone, or with individual alcoholism treatment, produces…

Couples therapy interventions can be used with alcohol abusers and alcoholics during three broadly defined states of recovery: (1) initial commitment to change; (2) change itself; and (3) long-term maintenance of change. Intervening with the alcoholic's spouse (and/or other nonalcoholic family members) can motivate and reinforce commitment to…

This paper describes Laurelhurst Manor's family treatment program to help families affected by chemical dependency, a 7-month program which treats family members from the perspective of developmental stages and family roles. The center, located in Portland, Oregon, is a 40-bed, free-standing facility having a 20-bed adolescent unit and a 20-bed…

This document illustrates the development and presentation of a workshop given to the King County Alcohol Training Consortium in King County, Washington as a 4-hour training session. It is divided into five sections and a bibliography. The first section explains the purpose of the booklet. Section II concerns the Alcohol/Elderly Network and…

Despite the increased emphasis on family-oriented approaches to prevention of alcoholism, most programs continue to be implemented within the school systems. To assess family and community needs in Lewiston, Idaho, 150 randomly selected adults (50% male) were surveyed by telephone. The survey focused on residents' perceptions of alcoholism and…

This article describes a practical approach to treating addictive families, designed to help them repair the damage, create more satisfying lives, and prevent long-lasting deleterious effects, commonly associated with "co-dependency" and "children of addicts." This approach is grounded in a developmental model of family recovery which was devised…

Following a brief review of literature on marital and family treatment for alcohol problems, this paper describes two types of marital therapy frequently used with alcoholics and presents a brief overview of results from a study in progress comparing the two modalities. Behavioral marital therapy uses communication skills training, contracting,…

Research and clinical support for the connections between alcohol abuse and the family milieu have generated increased interest in family treatment approaches to alcoholism. In assessing the "alcoholic family," the clinician must consider numerous aspects of family interaction which have been linked to abuse and to treatment outcomes.…

To ensure a positive prognosis, the recovering female alcoholic requires family therapy as an adjunct to her regular treatment program. Research indicates that the characteristics affecting a person's ability to secure and use treatment include (1) predisposing factors; (2) attitudes toward alcohol and health care; (3) personal enabling factors;…