Substance Abuse and Partner Violence: The Case for Couples Therapy

Abstract

Intimate partner violence continues to be a profound public health concern, with 25% of women and 10% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Many cases of intimate partner violence go undetected and untreated, however, identifying different ways of conceptualizing violence and alternative modalities of treatment may provide clinicians with the opportunity to intervene at higher rates. Given the men admitted to treatment for substance misuse problem report high rates of partner violence, this setting may provide an important point of contact for identification and treatment. Research using Behavioral Couples Therapy address non-severe forms of violence within a substance abuse treatment setting with promising outcomes. Future research is needed to identify the best technique to manage more severe forms of violence and in which settings.