Evaluating behavioral marital therapy for male alcoholics: Effects on marital adjustment and communication from before to after treatment

O’Farrell, Timothy J.; Cutter, Henry S. G.; Floyd, Frank J.

doi:10.1016/s0005-7894(85)80042-3

Cited by 160 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…These findings are also consistent with clinical studies indicating that positive outcomes after alcoholism treatment are fostered by marital satisfaction (Maisto et al, 1998;Orford, et al, 1975) and that alcoholism treatment is more effective when treatments focused on improving marital functioning are also provided (e.g. O'Farrell, Cutter, & Floyd, 1985;McCrady, et al, 1986). In addition, these findings are also consistent with a broader literature suggesting that marital quality is associated with desistence from antisocial behavior and substance use (Laub, Nagin, & Sampson, 1998;Maume, Ousey, & Beaver, 2005).…”

supporting

confidence: 88%

Predictors of heavy drinking and drinking problems over the first 4 years of marriage.

Leonard

Homish

2008

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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This study investigated the factors predictive of heavy drinking and drinking problems over the early years of marriage, focusing on the premarital drinking and relatively stable individual risk and protective factors that were present prior to marriage, and on social-interpersonal factors that may change or emerge over marriage. Newlywed couples were assessed at the time of marriage, and at the 1 st , 2 nd , and 4 th anniversaries with respect to frequency of heavy drinking and the extent of drinking problems, and a variety of factors that have been found to be predictive of adult alcohol problems. The results indicated that antisocial characteristics, family history of alcoholism, negative affect, and alcohol expectancies were related to heavy drinking and alcohol problems at the time of marriage. Changes after marriage were predicted by the drinking of one's partner and of one's peers and by alcohol expectancies for social/physical pleasure for both men and women. In addition, the quality of the marriage was longitudinally protective from the experience of alcohol problems for both men and women, although it was not related to changes in heavy drinking. KeywordsAlcohol Problems; Drinking Patterns; Marital Functioning; Partner Influence; Peer Influence Theoretical approaches to excessive drinking and alcohol problems have shifted from risk factor and person-environment interaction models to probabilistic-developmental models (e.g., Zucker, 2004) that incorporate person-environmental interactions into a broader developmental psychopathology approach (Windle & Davies, 1999). These models emphasize an array of biological, psychological, and social processes, sometimes acting in concert and sometimes in opposition to each other. This model argues that alcohol use and alcohol problems both affect and are affected by maturational processes and phase-specific transitional events. As Zucker, Fitzgerald, and Moses (1995) (p. 686). From this perspective, understanding the development of heavy drinking and alcohol problems is fostered by focusing on transitional events, particularly those that introduce, remove, or reorganize the biological, psychological, or social influences on drinking.One of the most important psychosocial transitional events is marriage, an event experienced by more than 70% of men and women by age 35 (Fields, 2003). Marriage carries with it a variety of tasks that can fundamentally alter an individual's view of self, as well as how the broader social network behaves toward the individual and the couple. At the psychological level, there is often a marked shift away from more individualistic values and toward more interdependent and socially positive values, consistent with the adoption of the new role of spouse. There is also often a major reorganization of the social network involving the reestablishment or redefinition of ties, both as individuals and as a couple, with each member's extended family and peer network (Boss, 1983;McGoldrick & Carter, 1982).In addition to these psycho-socia...

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supporting

confidence: 88%

Predictors of heavy drinking and drinking problems over the first 4 years of marriage.

Leonard

Homish

2008

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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“…Finally, O'Farrell et al's (1985) post hoc analysis replicated a limitation to effectiveness noted by other BMT researchers (e.g., Jacobson et al, 1986;Zimmer, 1987); that is, more distressed couples benefited less from the treatment.…”

Section: Effectivenesssupporting

confidence: 62%

Empirically supported couple and family interventions for marital distress and adult mental health problems.

Baucom¹,

Shoham²,

Mueser³

et al. 1998

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

498

411

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This article evaluates the efficacy, effectiveness, and clinical significance of empirically supported couple and family interventions for treating marital distress and individual adult disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, sexual dysfunctions, alcoholism and problem drinking, and schizophrenia. In addition to consideration of different theoretical approaches to treating these disorders, different ways of including a partner or family in treatment are highlighted: (a) partner-family-assisted interventions, (b) disorder-specific partner-family interventions, and (c)more general couple-family therapy. Findings across diagnostic groups and issues involved in applying efficacy criteria to these populations are discussed.Since the 1970s, there has been a major shift in knowledge regarding the effectiveness of couple-based and family-based interventions for treating adult mental health problems. During this period, various theoretical perspectives have been articulated, specific manual-based intervention strategies have been developed, and controlled treatment outcome investigations have explored a number of specific issues of importance. The current article examines the empirical status of these couple-and family-based interventions for treating (a) marital distress and (b) adult individual diagnosable disorders. More explicitly, the primary goal of this article is to use the criteria put forth by Chambless and Hollon (1998) to evaluate the efficacy, clinical significance, and effectiveness of various interventions that involve a couple or family format.The criteria provide a unifying framework for evaluating the wide variety of psychological interventions. As we reviewed the literature on couple-and family-based interventions, we became aware that there were a number of decisions that had to be made with regard to the application of these criteria. Given that other reviewers may have interpreted and applied the Chambless and Hollon (1998) guidelines in a different manner, we begin this We thank Emily Sartor for her assistance in the preparation of this article.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Donald H. Baucom, Davie Hall CB 3270, Psychology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3270. Electronic mail may be sent via Internet to don_baucom@unc.edu.review by articulating how we have applied them so that the reader can better understand the bases of our conclusions.One of the major decisions that affects the empirical status of an intervention involves what investigations to include in reviewing the literature. In determining the efficacy status of a treatment, we restricted our consideration to published investigations. Attempts to obtain a comprehensive set of findings from conference presentations, unpublished dissertations, and so forth necessarily result in an incomplete and potentially skewed set of data. At times, unpublished findings are cited if mey help to make a certain point or clarify issues, but they are not considered in dete...

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“…Seminal work, conducted by O'Farrell et al (1985) and McCrady et al (1986), reported promising effects for adding ABCT to alcoholism treatment, with respect to both marital functioning and drinking outcomes. This work and subsequent research by these two teams demonstrated that (a) the improvement was not simply due to including the spouse in the treatment context; (b) the improvement was observed primarily in ABCT and not other marital therapies; (c) the advantages of ABCT could be observed at two years after treatment, and (d) ABCT had an overall positive cost/benefit ratio (Epstein & McCrady 1998).…”

Section: Treating the Marriages Of Alcoholicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marital and Family Processes in the Context of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Disorders

Leonard

Eiden²

2007

Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol.

252

211

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Alcohol use is often part of the fabric of marriage and family life, and although it is associated with certain positive effects, excessive drinking and alcohol disorders can exert a negative effect on the marital development and on the development of children in the context of the family. This review considers evidence that alcohol influences and is influenced by marital/family processes, including transitions into marriage and parenthood, marital satisfaction, marital violence, parenting, and child development. The review discusses the importance of antisocial behavior and the need to examine women's drinking, and the joint impact of men's and women's drinking on marital/family processes. The review highlights the lack of studies in certain key areas, including the link between discordant drinking and violence and marital satisfaction, the role of alcohol in child neglect, and the potential role of marital conflict as a mediator or moderator of the relationship between alcohol and child functioning.

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Evaluating behavioral marital therapy for male alcoholics: Effects on marital adjustment and communication from before to after treatment

Cited by 160 publications

References 27 publications

Predictors of heavy drinking and drinking problems over the first 4 years of marriage.

Predictors of heavy drinking and drinking problems over the first 4 years of marriage.

Empirically supported couple and family interventions for marital distress and adult mental health problems.

Marital and Family Processes in the Context of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Disorders

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