Family Therapy and Drug Abuse: A National Survey

Abstract

The following report describes the results of a national study of the role of family therapy in the drug abuse field. Characteristics of agencies that work with families are described, as well as the demographic characteristics and psychological problems of the clients most apt to be treated in family therapy. The study also looks at the role and structure of family therapy in the ecological system of the treatment institutions. A profile of the family therapists who are responsible for providing services to families is presented. An attempt was made to assess agencies' level of development with regard to family therapy by using an instrument, The Progress Index for Family Therapy Programs. Generally, findings indicated that there is considerable variation in expertise. More extensive training in family therapy techniques was of major concern, particularly among clinics with a heroin addict population.

Drugs and The Family

“…A recent national survey by Coleman and Davis (1978) found that 93% of the programs which deal with drug problems provide some form of family services or treatment. With somuch activity, it is surprising that so little has been published on actual treatment technique with these families, i.e., what works, with whom, and how is it done.…”

Adolescent Substance Abuse and Family Therapy Outcome

“…Family therapy as a treatment for substance abuse was embraced in community mental health agencies and other clinical settings in the 1970s and came to be viewed as a viable treatment alternative for many at-risk populations, including adolescents (Coleman & Davis, 1978;Kaufman & Kaufman, 1992). In the clinical literature, the importance of family-based interventions for substance abuse has remained widely accepted (Craig, 1993), and family therapy is frequently implemented with adolescent abusers (d. Selekman & Todd, 1991).…”

Drug and Alcohol Use

“…Family therapy is presently being used by most substance abuse treatment agencies. A recent survey of 2012 agencies involved with treating substance abuse found that 93% provide some type of family therapy, and 75% of these agencies include the client and his or her entire family (Coleman, 1978). Additionally, 62% provide couple therapy and 36% group therapy for clients' parents (Basen, 1977).…”