DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2023.v11i08.003

Pages: 208-219

Alcohol use disorder remains one of the socioeconomic challenges in Kenya. The study investigated the effect of expressed family emotions on relapsed clients with alcohol use disorder in rehabilitation centres located in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. This was in the light of concern that recovered clients with alcohol use disorder relapse soon after re-joining their families. The study was anchored on structural family therapy and used concurrent explanatory mixed methods approach. The quantitative strand of the study used ex post facto, causal comparative design while the qualitative strand used phenomenological research design. Stratified and systematic random and purposive sampling techniques were used to obtain a sample size of 92 respondents, comprising 38 clients with alcohol use disorder, 38 family members, 12 relapsed clients and 4 counsellors in the selected registered and licensed rehabilitations centres. Data was collected using a questionnaire and focus group discussion guides. Quantitative data was cleaned, organized, coded and analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. The generated descriptive statistics were summarized and presented in distribution frequency tables. Qualitative data was coded and analysed thematically. The main findings showed that family members expressed high hostility, criticism and over-involvement but low empathy and positive comments towards clients with alcohol use disorder. The study concluded that expressed family emotions affected clients with alcohol use disorder and was a risk factor to relapse. The study recommends that rehabilitation programmes need to involve family members in the treatment of clients with alcohol use disorder.