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Psychosocial interventions delivered to affected others of people with addictions
Summary of the evidence
Psychosocial interventions delivered to people affected by someone else's addiction (problematic alcohol use, substance use, gambling or gaming) were assessed in a systematic review with meta-analysis ((Merkouris et al., 2022). Interventions included therapist interventions, delivered individually, in group and/or self-directed; cognitive–behavioural programmes based on CRAFT methodology that helps affected others to engage treatment-resistant addicted individuals into treatment and improve the affected other’s quality of life; coping skills training and other type of interventions. The results found beneficial intervention effects over control groups at post-intervention:
- on some affected other
- depressive symptomatology (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.67, -0.29),
- life satisfaction (SMD = -0.37, 95% CI = -0.71, -0.03)
- and coping style (SMD = -1.33, 95% CI = -1.87, -0.79)
- on the addicted person
- treatment entry (RR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75-0.98)
- on relationship functioning outcomes
- marital discord, SMD = -0.40, 95% CI = -0.61, -0.18)
No beneficial intervention effects were identified at short-term follow-up (4-11 months post-treatment). The beneficial intervention effects identified at post-treatment remained when limiting to studies of alcohol use and therapist-delivered interventions.
