ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Marital therapy is an overall term for the treatment for dysfunctional or distressed adult couple relationships. Although the term ‘marital’ is used in this chapter, the theories and techniques addressed are applicable to all adult couples, whether married, in civil partnerships or not, and whether heterosexual, gay or lesbian. The treatment group is adults in a committed emotional and sexual relationship, and in this sense is both societally and self-defined. It is clear that there are overlaps between the target patient group of marital therapy and those of family therapy, parent-infant therapy and relationship therapy for individuals. One of the consistent themes in surveys of the field is the lack of a clear definition of the patient group, the aims and targets of treatment, the criteria for efficacy, and the correct methodologies for gathering a useful evidence base.1-6 Despite this, it is also clear from a number of articles in the British Journal of Psychiatry and other journals that marital therapy has considerable scope for intervention in depression, as recognized by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).7-11 In addition, marital therapy not only is valuable in reducing distress in relationships but may also be a highly cost-effective treatment.12 The book by Snyder and Whisman is of particular relevance in addressing patients where there are coexisting mental health and relationship difficulties.13
