EVALUATION OF A SELF-HELP MANUAL FOR THE FEMALE PARTNERS OF HEAVY DRINKERS

This article reports on a controlled field trial into the effectivenes s of a self-help manual based on the Pressures to Change procedure for the female partners of heavy drinkers. Thirty-eight female partners o f heavy drinkers were randomly assigned either to counseling, self-hel p, or a waiting list control group. Clients were pre-and posttested us ing two self-report measures of distress, and the drinking behavior of the male partner was also monitored. Both self-help and counseling we re superior to no treatment in producing behavior change in the drinke r and in relieving the female partner's level of depression. There was no difference between the counseling and self-help modalities. Self-h elp therapy is now a realistic option for female partners who either c annot 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.