title: Relational Psychotherapy Mothers' Group: a randomized clinical trial for substance abusing mothers.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effectiveness of the Relational Psychotherapy Mothers' Group (RPMG), a supportive parenting group intervention for substance abusing women. Sixty mothers receiving RPMG were compared to 67 women receiving recovery training (RT); both treatments supplemented treatment in the methadone clinics. At the end of the 6-month treatment period, RPMG mothers showed marginally significant improvement on child maltreatment (self-reported) and cocaine abuse based on urinalyses when compared with RT mothers; notably, children of RPMG mothers reported significantly greater improvement in emotional adjustment and depression than children of RT mothers. At 6 months follow-up, however, treatment gains were no longer apparent. Overall, the findings suggest that whereas supportive parenting interventions for substance abusing women do have some preventive potential, abrupt cessation of the therapeutic program could have deleterious consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, P.O. Box 133, West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA. suniya.luthar@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Suniya S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Luthar
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Suchman
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altomare
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires