Family-inclusive approaches in the context of a dual diagnosis
A systematic review of relational and individual wellbeing outcomes
Authors: Kuntsche, S., Vuong, A., Cloud, Z., Cosgrove, M., Pradel, M., Hameed, M., McIntosh, J.E.
Published by: Clinical Psychology Review
Citation: Kuntsche, S., Vuong, A., Cloud, Z., Cosgrove, M., Pradel, M., Hameed, M., & McIntosh, J. E. (2026). Family-inclusive approaches in the context of a dual diagnosis: A systematic review of relational and individual wellbeing outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 128, 102762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102762
Webinar Presentation
When mental health and alcohol or other drug (AOD) challenges co-occur, families are often the ones holding everything together. But what does the evidence tell us about involving families in treatment and recovery?
The Bouverie Centre and Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) partnered for this webinar to explore groundbreaking findings from a new systematic review published in Clinical Psychology Review.
Together, we'll unpack the evidence behind family-inclusive care in dual diagnosis treatment and discuss what it means for practitioners and services.
Presenters
Associate Professor Sandra Kuntsche, The Bouverie Centre
Gillian Clark, AOD Strategy and Reform Manager, VAADA
Additional Resources
Research publication citation
Kuntsche, S., Vuong, A., Cloud, Z., Cosgrove, M., Pradel, M., Hameed, M., & McIntosh, J. E. (2026). Family-inclusive approaches in the context of a dual diagnosis: A systematic review of relational and individual wellbeing outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 128, 102762.
Useful links
- Carers Can Ask - St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
- Family Drug Support - Family Drug Support Australia
- Find a Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect near you
- BreakThrough Ice Education for Families Handbook
- Family Drug & Gambling Help - SHARC | Self Help Addiction Resource Centre
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Full text alternative for knowledge translation
This research is relevant to practitioners working across:
- Alcohol and other drug (AOD) services,
- Mental health services, and
- Child, youth and family services.
It is also relevant to family members supporting someone with a dual diagnosis (co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions).
We conducted a systematic search of evidence to better understand family-inclusive approaches in the treatment of dual diagnosis. We looked at research from 2000-2026, specifically exploring:
- Family-inclusive interventions available for the treatment of dual diagnosis,
- How families are involved in care,
- What effect family-inclusive approaches have on relational wellbeing, mental health, and substance use outcomes.
Our search found 28 studies involving family-inclusive treatment of clients with a dual diagnosis, generally focusing on adolescent and adult client populations.
Family-inclusive models were varied across studies, with examples including structured family therapies, behavioural family approaches, integrated family interventions, psychoeducation combined with skills-building, and multidimensional family approaches.
Across both groups (adolescents and adults), family-inclusive approaches generally performed as well as or better than treatment-as-usual, with reported benefits including improved:
- mental health and substance use outcomes,
- global and family functioning,
- family communication,
- family conflict,
- parenting and caregiver skills (particularly in adolescent studies).
- The review highlights the value of family-inclusive practice as a meaningful component of dual diagnosis treatment, and points to a need for greater prioritisation and further research into it.
- It shows that family-inclusive practice can contribute both to improvements in individual symptoms and to stronger relational wellbeing within families.
- Service models should consider strengthening integration across mental health and AOD sectors, building workforce capacity in family-inclusive practice and actively engaging families in assessment, treatment and recovery planning.