Abstract
Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) negatively impact veterans and their relationships with others. Although there are several evidence-based treatments for SUD symptoms, there is less research on whether reduction in SUD symptoms coincides with reduction in interpersonal difficulties. Methods: In this study we examined the relationship between SUD and relationships in a national sample of 458 veterans who received approximately 12 sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders (CBT-SUD) through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Results: Parallel latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) indicated that self-reported alcohol use, drug use, and interpersonal difficulties decreased over the course of treatment. Alcohol and drug use were positively associated with each other and with interpersonal difficulties at each time point, and baseline alcohol and drug use were negatively associated with the reduction of use over time. However, there was little evidence that reductions in substance use led to a reduction in interpersonal difficulties (or vice-versa). Conclusions: Findings highlight promising strategies to further understand how CBT-SUD may enhance reductions in substance use as well as improve relationships with family and friends.
Declaration of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.
Ethical approval
This was not a clinical trial. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of California, San Francisco determined that, given the nature of this as program evaluation of a quality improvement initiative, IRB review was not required.
Data availability statement
Due to the nature of this program evaluation project, participants did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not publicly available.