Does Hazardous Alcohol Use Impact Individual and Relational Functioning Among Couples Seeking Couples Therapy?

The effects of alcohol use on the couple unit are largely under studied, especially among distressed couples. To address this gap, this study explored groups differences between couples presenting to couples therapy based on hazardous alcohol use in both individual and relational functioning. Secondary data collected from 75 couples presenting for couple therapy were used to address the research question. Participants completed self-report measures to assess demographics, hazardous alcohol use, individual functioning, and relational functioning. Two separate repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to compare (1) the effect of male individual functioning on female individual functioning and (2) the effect of male relational functioning on female relational functioning in the alcohol use versus nonuse conditions. Findings indicated a statistically significant difference between the means of male and female relational functioning scores based on use versus nonuse groups: F(1, 73) = 5.512, p = .02. Differences between the means of male and female individual functioning scores between the use and nonuse groups were not statistically significant: F(1, 73) = 3.588, p = .06. There is a potential intersection between alcohol use, individual functioning, and relational functioning among distressed couples. Future research is needed to identify other factors that likely interact with alcohol use, as a better understanding of alcohol use within the couple context may lead to improved treatment protocols