Frequently Asked Questions

Clinicians in this survey viewed family support services very positively overall. 95.19% considered family support services critical for SUD care, 92.31% believed they improve patient outcomes, 86.54% believed they increase treatment compliance and adherence, 65.38% believed they decrease relapse rates, and 91.35% agreed that family support should be included in SUD treatment plans.

Referrals were uncommon despite broad support for family involvement. 73.08% of respondents reported that they rarely refer to family support services, while 63.64% were neutral or disagreed that they felt confident incorporating family support into SUD plans, 76.92% said introducing these services may create new challenges in treatment dynamics, and only 72.12% agreed that there is adequate evidence supporting these services.

Most providers encountered patients with SUD frequently, but family contact was less common. 44.23% reported seeing patients with SUD daily and 49.04% a few times per week. By contrast, 50% said they engaged with families only occasionally and 25.96% said they engaged with families frequently.

Yes. Psychiatric providers reported more frequent exposure to SUD care and more favorable views of family support than internal medicine providers. They were more likely to encounter SUD patients frequently (59.26% vs 28%, P<.001), interact with family members more often (42.59% vs 8%, P<.001), believe family support improves patient outcomes (100% vs 84%, P=.002), improves treatment adherence (98.15% vs 74%, P<.001), reduces relapse (87.04% vs 42%, P<.001), trust the evidence base (87.04% vs 56%, P<.001), and feel confident integrating family support into treatment plans (59.26% vs 12%, P<.001).

Yes. Older respondents were more likely than younger respondents to trust the evidence for family support services and to feel confident incorporating them into treatment. 81.03% of older respondents agreed there is adequate evidence compared with 60.87% of younger respondents (P=.023), and 46.55% of older respondents felt confident integrating these services into treatment plans compared with 23.91% of younger respondents (P=.017).

Yes, although support was broad in both groups. Female respondents showed stronger agreement with family involvement than male respondents, with 96.88% of females expressing agreement compared with 83.78% of males (P=.049).

This was a quantitative, cross-sectional survey conducted at a major urban academic center. The survey included 104 health care providers from psychiatry and internal medicine, and questions focused on family support in relation to patient outcomes, treatment adherence, relapse, provider confidence, and barriers to integration. Group comparisons were analyzed with 2-sided χ² tests or Fisher exact tests, with α = .05.

At this institution, family support referrals could be made through the Department of Psychiatry's Support, Advocacy, and Family Education program. SAFE offered an initial consultation with an addiction psychiatrist, peer and group support, and educational resources. Additional referrals could also be made through hospital social work services to connect families with community-based counseling; SAFE participation was voluntary and free of charge.

The authors identified limited generalizability and possible selection bias as key limitations. The survey was conducted at a single major urban academic center, so the findings may not apply to other settings such as rural environments. The authors also noted that providers already interested in family support may have been more likely to respond than providers who were less familiar with it.