Logo image
Relational Ethics and Substance Misuse: Insights from a Community-Based Sample
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Relational Ethics and Substance Misuse: Insights from a Community-Based Sample

Rikki A Patton, Grant Morales, Margaret Dickinson, Lauren Kairys, Samantha A. Hershey, Kristen Pedersen and Heather Katafiasz
Contemporary Family Therapy, Forthcoming
21 Jan 2026
Featured in Collection :   Research Supported by Drexel Libraries' OA Programs
url
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-026-09775-1View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2026CC BY V4.0 Open

Abstract

Relational ethics Substance misuse Contextual therapy Screening Family Therapy Substance Abuse
This study explored contextual family therapy as a framework for understanding substance misuse, focusing on relational ethics as a key component. Using cross-sectional survey data from a national registry sample (n = 183) recruited through ResearchMatch, we examined associations between substance misuse and contextual facts (e.g., gender, residence), psychological factors, relational dynamics, and relational ethics. Findings showed that higher scores in relational ethics scores such as trust, justice, fairness and loyalty in individuals in a current romantic relationship were significantly associated with lower substance misuse. Findings also showed that contextual factors such as gender and area of residence influenced substance misuse patterns. These results support the relevance of contextual family therapy in conceptualizing substance misuse, suggesting that both relational and demographic contexts are critical targets for prevention and intervention.

Metrics

15 Record Views

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#5 Gender Equality
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
Logo image