title: Behavioral couples therapy for drug-abusing patients: effects on partner violence.
abstract: Using data from a previous investigation, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) on the prevalence of partner violence among married or cohabiting substance-abusing men (N = 80). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either BCT or individual-based treatment (IBT). The proportion of couples who engaged in male-to-female physical aggression was not different during the year before treatment for dyads in BCT (n = 17, 43%) and IBT (n = 19, 48%). However, a smaller proportion of couples in the BCT condition reported male-to-female physical aggression during the year after treatment (n = 7, 18%) than those in the IBT condition (n = 17, 43%). Dyadic adjustment, frequency of heavy drinking, and frequency of drug use during the year after treatment mediated the relationship between type of treatment and the prevalence of male-to-female physical aggression.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203-1016, USA. wstewart@ria.buffalo.edu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fals-Stewart
authors.forename: Todd B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Kashdan
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Farrell
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Birchler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D019546:Couples Therapy; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*