| Abstract: | The Family and Drug Abuse Symposium held on July 10–12, 1975, brought together individuals who possess clinical and/or research expertise in the area of family research and substance abuse. The purpose of the symposium was directed toward assessing the current state of knowledge in the field and delineating directions for future work. The role of family interaction in causing or maintaining a drug abuse problem has only recently become the focus of research and innovative treatment efforts. This special section is intended to acquaint therapists and researchers with recent work in the field; the papers are revised versions of materials originally prepared for the symposium. This first paper offers a brief overview of the symposium and summarizes issues that arose from each of the four workshops: I. Psychosocial Research; II. Clinical Observations; III. Clinical Programs; and IV. Recommendations Made to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The next paper is a review of recent studies in research and treatment that have approached substance abuse from a family viewpoint. Other research methods that appear relevant to the study of families with a drug-abusing member are discussed. Three commentaries on this review follow. The last paper describes an extensive effort to implement and evaluate family therapy within an existing drug treatment facility. |
