Comparing Marital Adjustment in Couples Having Alcohol- or Opioid-dependent Husbands

Background: Substance use disorder is a complex bio-psycho-social phenomenon affecting the intimate relationship of substance users with their wives. Marital adjustment may be affected due to the ongoing substance use involving the family unit.

Aim: The present study aimed to compare marital adjustment between alcohol- or opioid-dependent patients and their spouses.

Methods: The present cross-sectional observational study compared 25 dyads each of alcohol- and opioid-dependence syndrome taken from the outpatient department of an addiction treatment center in north India. Marital adjustment was compared using the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (MAQ). Maudsley Addiction Profile and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire were also applied to the patients, and Social Support Questionnaire was applied to both patients and spouses.

Results: There was no significant difference in the sexual, social, and emotional domains and total MAQ scores between patients with alcohol- and opioid-dependence syndrome or their spouses. There was a significant positive correlation between the sexual domain score of MAQ of alcohol-dependent patients and their spouses (r = 0.655, p < .001). The Maudsley Addiction Profile parameters, personality profile, and social support did not differ significantly across the two groups.

Conclusion: Marital adjustment are probably equal in patients and spouses of alcohol and opioid dependence syndrome. A small sample size is a limitation of this study.