Unilateral Family Therapy with the Spouses of Alcoholics
The design and development of a unilateral family therapy for alcohol abuse is reported from a study of 25 spouses. Subjects were recruited from newspaper advertisements in which spouses of partners who had a drinking problem and refused to enter treatment were solicited to receive free professional assistance. Treatment embraced treatment orientation, clinical assessment, spouse role induction, abuser-directed interventions, spouse-directed interventions, and maintenance. Results indicated that the unilateral treatment program can be implemented, the spouses of uncooperative alcohol abusers can be assisted to function as a positive rehabilitative influence with their alcoholic mates, and that important positive gains for the abusers and spouses can be achieved. It is concluded that the unilateral approach should be experimentally evaluated and, if results are favorable, applied with other populations.
By now it should be clear to readers that the self-help movement in mental health is represented by an enormous range of resources available, along various continua of validity and reliability. One of the most important areas in need of investigation is the area of patient–treatment matching with respect to SH. More specifically, who is most likely to benefit by SH? What are the most reliable indicators of assignment to SH? When are SH interventions most indicated? To answer these questions, a theory of SH and SC based on what is known about patient–treatment matching might more likely prove beneficial in the assignment of the various SH resources available today (e.g., Harwood & Beutler,2008 Beutler & Harwood, 2000; Beutler, Clarkin, & Bongar, 2000; Beutler & Clarkin, 1990).