Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Background:</jats:title><jats:p>A significant amount of research has supported the efficacy of couple versus individual treatment for alcohol use disorders, yet little is known about whether involving a significant other during the course of individual treatment can improve outcomes. Likewise, several barriers to couple treatment exist and a more flexible approach to significant other involvement may be warranted.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods:</jats:title><jats:p>This study constituted secondary analyses of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">COMBINE</jats:styled-content> data, a randomized clinical trial that combined pharmacotherapy and behavioral intervention for alcohol dependence. Data were drawn from the 16‐week individual combined behavioral intervention (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CBI</jats:styled-content>), which had 776 participants, 31% of which were female, and 23% were non‐white. The current study examined whether attendance by a supportive significant other (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content>) during <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CBI</jats:styled-content> sessions would predict better outcomes. It was further hypothesized that active <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content> involvement, defined by attendance during drink refusal or communication skills training sessions, would predict better outcomes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content>s attended at least 1 session for 26.9% of clients. Clients with <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content>s who attended at least 1 session had significantly fewer drinking days and fewer drinking‐related problems at the end of treatment. The presence of an <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content> during a drink refusal training session predicted significantly better outcomes, as compared to <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content> attendance at other sessions and drink refusal training without an <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content> present. <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content> attendance at a communication training session did not predict better outcomes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions:</jats:title><jats:p>These results suggest that specific types of active involvement may be important for <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">SSO</jats:styled-content>‐involved treatment to have greater efficacy than individual treatment.</jats:p></jats:sec>