Effectiveness of Structural Family Therapy on Therapy Motivation and Family Functioning in Families with Substance Abusers

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of structural family therapy in therapy motivation and family functioning in families with substance abusers. Method: A quasi-experimental research design along with pre-test/post-test and control group was employed for the conduct of this study. The statistical population of this study consisted of all families who presented to addiction treatment centers in Ardabil city in the fall and winter of 2016. For this purpose, 30 families were selected using purposive sampling, and 15 families were placed in the experimental group and 15 ones were assigned to the control group. In terms of therapy motivation and family function, they were evaluated. Then, the experimental group underwent structural therapy for eight 90-minute sessions. The experimental and control groups were evaluated once more in terms of the variables under study. Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale and Family Assessment Device were used for data collection. Results: The results of covariance analysis indicated that structural family therapy has been effective in increasing the treatment motivation and improving family function in families with substance abusive members. Conclusion: Structural family therapy is an effective method to increase treatment motivation and family functioning.