Family involvement in illicit drug treatment?

Support now exists for the practice of including the family in attempts to alter individual problems related to alcohol use. The present paper extends discussion of family involvement in treatment to include programmes addressing illicit drug use. In contrast to programmes focusing on alcohol use where the cohabitating family has been the focus, developmental issues arising within the family of origin tend to be of most interest in illicit drug treatment. Treatment process descriptions, in a range of programmes, refer to the need to redress developmental failures originating in the family. More commonly the family is seen as a method of obtaining practical support for recovery. There are differences, however, both in the developmental deficits targeted for intervention and the approaches utilized to involve families in treatment. The frequent reference to illicit drug-users' families as high-risk groups for harmful behaviours, together with demonstrations of family involvement as a successful strategy, recommends the potential of these approaches as a practical prevention initiative. Broader assessment of potential benefits for the wider family network is suggested as a useful way to encourage such developments.