Evaluation of a self-help manual for the female partners of heavy drinkers

This article reports on a controlled field trial into the effectiveness of a self-help manual based on the Pressures to Change procedure for the female partners of heavy drinkers. Thirty-eight female partners of heavy drinkers were randomly assigned either to counseling, self-help, or a waiting list control group. Clients were pre-and posttested using two self-report measures of distress, and the drinking behavior of the male partner was also monitored. Both self-help and counseling were superior to no treatment in producing behavior change in the drinker and in relieving the female partner's level of depression. There was no difference between the counseling and self-help modalities. Self-help therapy is now a realistic option for female partners who either cannot or will not present for treatment Similarly, a self-help manual for partners provides generalist social workers in secondary settings with a new intervention option in their work with resistant drinkers.