Family-Focused Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Results from a Convergent Mixed Methods Design
Background:
Substance use disorders (SUDs) adversely impact both the patients and their family systems. Clinical studies report a robust mutual relationship between SUDs and family functioning. Dysfunctional patterns of family interactions and challenging family relationships can exacerbate SUDs and significantly impair sobriety and the recovery processes during the treatment phase. During the treatment, old relational problems and associated conflictual pathways reemerge and must be addressed through family therapy. Unaddressed relationship conflicts and emotional cutoffs within the family system can endanger the patient’s sobriety and recovery process. As the treatment process continues, the newfound sobriety and recovery process necessitates addressing resentments and emotional cutoffs within the family relationships, healing of relationship ruptures, and a redistribution of power and negotiation of various roles within the family system. In brief, family-involved treatment and systemically focused family therapy are crucial for sustaining treatment outcomes.
Methods:
With a convergent mixed methods design, this study examined the benefits and challenges of involving patients' families in SUD treatment programs and identified factors contributing to effective treatment outcomes. Research participants (n=122) were clinicians working in addiction treatment centers.
Results:
Based on the empirical data, this presentation identifies the benefits and challenges of involving families in SUD treatment programs; outlines various clinical strategies used by clinicians for facilitating family-focused treatment programs, including practical strategies to educate families on the nature of SUDs and signs of relapse; to create more accountable yet supportive family/relational systems for facilitating patients' sustainable sobriety and recovery; and approaches to methodically assess the readiness of the family members and to prepare them to be involved in family-focused SUD treatment without losing the focus on supporting the patient; to treat dysfunctional patterns of family interactions that jeopardize patient's sobriety and recovery process; and to enhance the buy-ins of the family and to restore the family's faith in the effectiveness of SUD treatment. As a result of family-focused treatment, patients may be more motivated to be actively involved in the treatment process, improve the quality of abstinence and recovery efforts, and increase treatment retention and completion.
Conclusion:
Findings from this study may contribute significantly to addiction research literature, innovative ways to involve family systems in treatment, and providing essential guidelines to developing sustainable recovery for patients and enhancing the overall effectiveness of SUD treatment programs.
