Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders 3rd ed - R. Frances, S. Miller, A. Mack (Guilford, 2005) WW

552 V. TREATMENTS FOR ADDICTIONSthe other reviews cited by Stanton and Heath make the case that involvingfamilies/partners in treatment of substance abuse can both reduce treatmentdropout and improve outcomes.The family has also been found to be an essential factor in evidence-basedsubstance abuse prevention programs. Using 20 years of social science research asa foundation, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has identified risk andprotective factors that predict substance abuse in adolescence and early adulthood(Cire, 2002). Today, an increasing number of prevention programs relateto family form and function in both their content and their activities. Forexample, family risk factors for substance abuse include chaotic home environments,ineffective parenting, and lack of parent–child attachments. Protectivefactors include strong and positive family bonds, parental monitoring of children’sactivities, clear rules of conduct that are consistently enforced, andinvolvement of parents in the lives of their children (Risk and Protective Factors,2002).Research has shown that the same family risk factors apply to the preventionof other social problems, including youth violence, delinquency, schooldropout, risky sexual behaviors, and teen pregnancy. There is also evidence ofthe economic value of evidence-based prevention. One dollar spent in preventionsaves four dollars in the cost of substance abuse treatment (Pentz, 1998).CONCLUSIONSubstance abuse affects everyone in the family. Family therapy is an ecologicaland inclusive intervention that can benefit all those involved and change themultigenerational dynamics of substance abuse. Research now supports family/couple therapy as an effective and efficient approach to both treatment and prevention.Given society’s overt concerns about substance abuse and its incrediblecost to our country, family/couple therapy appears to be making a significantcontribution to the well-being of our people.REFERENCESAlexander, J. F., & Parsons, B. V. (1982). Functional family therapy. Monterey, CA:Brooks/Cole.Alexander, J. F., Waldron, H. B., Barton, C., & Mas, C. H. (1989). Minimizing blamingattributions and behaviors in delinquent families. J Consult Clin Psychol, 57, 19–24.Anthenelli, R. M., & Schuckit, M. A. (1997). Genetics. In J. H. Lowinson, P. Ruiz, R.B. Millman, & J. G. Langrod (Eds.), Substance abuse: A comprehensive textbook (3rded., pp. 41–51). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.Bekir, P., McLellan, T., Childress, A. R., & Gariti, P. (1993). Role reversals in familiesof substance misusers: A transgenerational phenomenon. Int J Addict, 28, 613–630.