We‐Language and Sustained Reductions in Drinking in Couple‐Based Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders |
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| Authors: | Kevin A. Hallgren Barbara S. McCrady |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA;2. Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA |
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| Abstract: | Couple‐based treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) produce higher rates of abstinence than individual‐based treatments and posit that active involvement of both identified patients (IPs) and significant others (SOs) is partly responsible for these improvements. Separate research on couples’ communication has suggested that pronoun usage can indicate a communal approach to coping with health‐related problems. The present study tested whether communal coping, indicated by use of more first‐person plural pronouns (“we” language), fewer second‐person pronouns (“you” language), and fewer first‐person singular pronouns (“I” language), predicted improvements in abstinence in couple‐based AUD treatment. Pronoun use was measured in first‐ and mid‐treatment sessions for 188 heterosexual couples in four clinical trials of alcohol behavioral couple therapy (ABCT). Percentages of days abstinent were assessed during treatment and over a 6‐month follow‐up period. Greater IP and SO “we” language during both sessions was correlated with greater improvement in abstinent days during treatment. Greater SO “we” language during first‐ and mid‐treatment sessions was correlated with greater improvement in abstinence at follow‐up. Greater use of IP and SO “you” and “I” language had mixed correlations with abstinence, typically being unrelated to or predicting less improvement in abstinence. When all pronoun variables were entered into regression models, only greater IP “we” langue and lower IP “you” language predicted improvements in abstinence during treatment, and only SO “we” language predicted improvements during follow‐up. Most pronoun categories had little or no association with baseline relationship distress. Results suggest that communal coping predicts better abstinence outcomes in couple‐based AUD treatment. |
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| Keywords: | Alcohol behavioral couple therapy Within‐session language Pronoun use Treatment outcomes Terapia conductual de pareja para el abuso del alcohol Lenguaje dentro de la sesió n Uso de pronombres Resultados del tratamiento 酒 精 行 为 伴 侣 治 疗 程 内 语 言 代 词 使 用 治 疗 结 果 |
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