title: Behavioral couples therapy for substance abusers: where do we go from here?
abstract: Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) is an evidence-based family treatment for substance abuse. The results of numerous investigations over the past 30 years indicate that participation in this treatment by married or cohabiting substance-abusing patients, compared with more traditional individual-based interventions, results in greater reductions in substance use, higher levels of relationship satisfaction, greater reductions in partner violence, and more favorable cost outcomes. This review examines the rationale for using BCT, the empirical literature supporting its use, methods used as part of this intervention, and future research directions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529-0267, USA. kklostem@odu.edu
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klostermann
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mignone
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pusateri
authors.forename: Kristi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wills
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019546:Couples Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D011582:Psychological Theory; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*