The effects of therapeutic bond within a brief intervention for alcohol moderation for problem drinkers.

The quality of the relationship between a therapist and his or her client can make a significant contribution to recovery from substance use disorders. Treatments often harness aspects of therapeutic relationships (e.g., therapeutic bond) to positively affect therapeutic outcomes. Within motivational interviewing (MI), for example, authors theorize that a relational component is 1 active component that affects change. The present study aims to examine the effects of relationships within a treatment setting on drinking. A secondary data analysis was performed on data collected from problem drinkers in a randomized controlled trial. Participants were assigned to MI or relational MI without directive elements (spirit-only MI). Participants answered questions about alcohol use and therapeutic bond before, during, and at the end of an 8-week treatment period. High levels of therapeutic bond and empathic resonance predicted decreased alcohol use at the end of treatment for participants in both conditions. This study highlights the importance of relational components in treatments for substance abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes