The family and alcohol: Effects of excessive drinking and conceptualizations of spouses over recent decades

There is much debate in the addiction literature about the extent to which excessive drinking affects nondrinking family members. The issue is conside red in this review by examining and evaluating research relating to the eff ects of drinking on children, family systems, and partners of drinkers. The latter group have, historically, been blamed and pathologized for their pa rtner's drinking, although more recent theories have adopted a stress and c oping paradigm, thus normalizing individuals and their behaviors. Conceptua lizations of spouses over the last five decades are described and evaluated in the second part of the review. Finally, the review considers the impact of the recent stress and coping paradigm on clinical interventions for exc essive drinkers and their families, and suggestions are made for future res earch.