title: Brief relationship therapy for alcoholism: a randomized clinical trial examining clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of brief relationship therapy (BRT), a shortened version of standard behavioral couples therapy (S-BCT), with alcoholic male patients (N = 100) and their nonsubstance-abusing female partners. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (a) BRT, (b) S-BCT, (c) individual-based treatment (IBT), or (d) psychoeducational attention control treatment (PACT). Equivalency testing revealed that, compared with those assigned to S-BCT, participants who were randomly assigned to BRT had equivalent posttreatment and 12-month follow-up heavy drinking outcomes. Moreover, at 12-month follow-up, heavy drinking and dyadic adjustment outcomes for patients who received BRT were superior to those of patients who received IBT or PACT. BRT was significantly more cost effective than the S-BCT, IBT, or PACT.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Health Research Division, RTI International, Rsearch Triangle Park, NC, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fals-Stewart
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klostermann
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Yates
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; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019546:Couples Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors