Unilateral Spouse Therapy to Reach the Treatment-Resistant Alcohol Abusing Partner: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: The aim of this research was to implement and evaluate unilateral family therapy (UFT) for alcohol abuse, an approach that assists the nonalcoholic spouse to induce their alcohol-abusing partner to enter treatment and/or reduce drinking. Method: Forty-two nonalcohol-abusing spouses participated in this randomized control trial, and 13 no-treatment spouses served as an additional comparison group. Repeated measures analysis over four time periods evaluated change in abuser alcohol use and spouse psychological, marital, and role induction (e.g., enabling) variables, whereas χ2 analyses evaluated alcohol abuser treatment entry. Results: The findings suggest that UFT is successful in facilitating abuser treatment entry, drink reduction as well as long-term improvement in the spouse’s psychological health, and marital functioning. Conclusions: Given the high numbers of treatment-resistant alcohol abusers in need of treatment and the related distress of their spouses, UFT represents an important approach for practitioners.