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Behavioural Marital Therapy for Alcoholics: Effects on Communication Skills and Marital Satisfaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Michael P. Baker ,
Neville M. Blampied  and
Lynne Haye
Michael P. Baker
Affiliation:
University of Canterbury, Christchurch NZ
Neville M. Blampied*
Affiliation:
University of Canterbury, Christchurch NZ
Lynne Haye
Affiliation:
University of Canterbury, Christchurch NZ
*
Psychology Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 1, New Zealand
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Abstract

Four married couples were recruited from an outpatient alcohol counselling centre. Four husbands and one wife had recently received therapy for alcoholism and all but one was abstinent during the study. All scored as distressed on the Marital Adjustment Test. They participated in ten sessions of behavioural marital therapy emphasising positive reinforcement, communication, expression of feelings and problem solving. Problem solving discussions were audio-recorded at each session and analysed using a behaviour code. Measures of marital satisfaction, conflict and depression showed modest gains which were generally maintained at follow-up. Communication skills improved most with training, problem solving less so and feelings expression declined below baseline levels. These changes did not appear to be very durable. The non-abstinent client reduced his drinking to a level satisfactory to his wife during therapy. These findings support other recent work, draw attention to the need to find ways of promoting the maintenance and transfer of therapeutic changes and suggest that behavioural marital therapy may usefully be employed in outpatient alcohol counselling settings.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 6 , Issue 3-4 , September 1989 , pp. 178 - 186
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1989

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References

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