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Couple alcohol treatment benefits patients' partners
Author(s) -
Kuenzler Alfred,
Beutler Larry E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.10171
Subject(s) - psychology , matching (statistics) , aptitude , clinical psychology , alcohol , alcohol dependence , psychotherapist , developmental psychology , medicine , biochemistry , chemistry , pathology
This study explored the effects of conjoint therapy on the partner of alcoholic patients. Seventy‐five alcohol abusers were randomly assigned to one of two manualized alcoholism treatments. Effects on partners were evaluated on three outcome measures. Results indicated that partner alcohol use was initially high, but was improved by treatment. An assessment of cross‐cutting dimensions of patient‐treatment matching, found to be effective in predicting patient response, was then applied to the prediction of partner response. These dimensions were unsuccessful in predicting changes in partner response to treatment. Results are discussed in respect to possible differences in matching partners versus clients to treatment. The statistical representation of patient‐treatment matching is discussed along with other topics for future Aptitude × Treatment interaction research. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol.