Family therapy as a treatment modality for alcoholism

HIV disease in the intravenous drug user: role of the primary care physician

Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) are increasingly encountered in the medical arena, on both an inpatient and an outpatient basis, in large part because of complications related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Clinicians must work to overcome long-standing antipathy towards this population in order to provide appropriate care, as well as to develop an understanding of the process of addiction and of the addict as a patient. The use of relationship skills, limit setting, and contingency contracting and an ability to choose and gain access to appropriate and/or available chemical dependency treatment options are important in the care of these patients. Finally, an adequate biomedical knowledge base of the medical complications of IVDUs, as well as the care of drug-related complications and withdrawal and overdose syndromes, is necessary to provide optimal care. In addition, the IVDU may have certain features of HIV-related disease that differ from those of other groups, and the clinician must be familiar with these features. Provision of such care is within the scope of the primary care clinician and can improve patient retention in treatment and the outcomes of such treatment, as well as both patient and clinician satisfaction.

A comprehensive alcohol abuse treatment programme for persons with traumatic brain injury

The concerns of dual disability problems of substance abuse and traumatic brain injury have been documented and well recognized by rehabilitation professionals. Substance abuse treatment programmes for TBI, however, have been lacking. The purpose of this paper is to suggest both the framework and the content of interventions designed to prevent and treat alcohol abuse in traumatic brain injury clients.

Family involvement and outcome in treatment of alcoholism

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of spouses' (or significant others') involvement in the treatment of alcoholism. Altogether 80 adult patients who had been treated for alcoholism participated. There were three groups who varied in involvement: Group I whose spouses attended 3 or fewer group therapy sessions per week, Group II whose spouses attended 4 or more sessions per week, and Group III whose spouses were treated as inpatients for coalcoholism. Information was gathered through personal interviews as part of the treatment follow-up plan no less than six months after release. The results suggest strong associations between greater family involvement and abstinence (at least six months), better family relations, and positive feelings about self. Further work should consider factors contributing to greater spousal involvement and the nature of support received after treatment.