Crossed evaluations of temptation to drink, strain and adjustment in couples with alcohol problems

J Health Psychol. 2009 Nov;14(8):1156-62. doi: 10.1177/1359105309342285.

Abstract

The aim was to describe discrepancies between patients' and spouses' dyadic adjustment scores, spouse strain and patients' temptation to drink during abstinence. Patients overestimated the dyadic adjustment scores of their partner and spouses underestimated patients' scores. Spouses overestimated patients' temptation to drink. Correlations between patients' and spouses' scores were generally high (.61 to .78) except for five measures of spouse strain which were lower (.31 to .50). Results show discrepancies concerning marital function and the temptation to drink which could be important when planning treatment and prevention of relapse.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking / psychology*
  • Alcoholism / psychology*
  • Alcoholism / rehabilitation
  • Caregivers / psychology*
  • Cost of Illness*
  • Family Conflict / psychology*
  • Female
  • France
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marital Therapy
  • Mass Screening
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation*
  • Self Efficacy
  • Spouses / psychology*
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Temperance / psychology