Family Relationships as a Predictor of Post-Treatment Drug Abuse Relapse: A Follow-Up Study of Drug Addicts and Their Spouses

This study examined family-of-origin (FO) characteristics of drug addicts and their spouses, who participated in an in-home drug treatment program. Discriminant analysis revealed a set of FO characteristics that differentiated between 25 men who remained drug-free for six months after detoxification and 25 men who suffered a relapse. This set of FO characteristics successfully predicted relapse 30 months later. Men who remained drug-free for the entire period maintained closer relationships with healthy than with unhealthy families, whereas those who relapsed maintained closer relationships with unhealthy families. Compared with those who relapsed, men who remained drug-free also maintained closer relationships with their spouses' families. The findings are discussed in terms of the family system's view of drug abuse, as well as their implications for family-based intervention.