title: The prevention and management of alcohol problems in the family setting: a review of work carried out in English-speaking countries.
abstract: There are at least six theoretical perspectives that underlie studies of alcohol misuse and the family. Adherence to one or to a limited range of viewpoints constricts the outlook of professional workers. The prevention and treatment of alcohol problems in the family setting is a neglected field, yet it offers scope for intervention with high risk groups, and at an incipient stage of alcohol misuse before help is normally sought. Despite the growing use of marital and family therapy for couples and families containing a problem drinking member, evaluative studies of such therapies generally lack methodological rigour and leave important issues unresolved. Nonspecialist professional agencies who encounter family problems often fail to identify or deal with alcohol misuse when it is present. Trained voluntary workers may be effective in the treatment of alcohol problems within the family context. There are disadvantages from viewing alcohol misuse within the family as a topic separate from other health and social problems. Finally, the issues that are reviewed have relevance for non-English speaking countries.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000436:Alcoholics Anonymous; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D003906:Developing Countries; D005190:Family; D005192:Family Health; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy; D008393:Marriage; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012306:Risk; D012923:Social Class; D013598:Systems Theory