Family ties of crack cocaine users cared for in a psychiatric emergency department

Abstract

This study characterizes the family ties of crack cocaine users cared for in a psychiatric emergency department in southern Brazil. It is a qualitative study with a series of cases carried out in the city of Maringá, PR, Brazil from April to June 2010. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, analyzed using content analysis, and organized into two categories: family ties as facilitators in the use of crack cocaine and other drugs; and fragmented family ties of crack users. Loss of relational bonds with family and social milieu was observed among the ten studied users in addition to the presence of drugs and violence in the family sphere. Further studies addressing the use of crack and its interface with the family are encouraged, taking into consideration that families have an essential role in the initiation and continuity of drug use. Vínculo familiar de usuarios de crack atendidos en una unidad de emergencia psiquiátricaEl objetivo del estudio fue conocer el vínculo familiar de usuarios de crack atendidos en una Unidad de Emergencia Psiquiátrica del Sur de Brasil. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa, con delineamiento de serie de casos, realizada en el municipio de Maringá, en Paraná, en el período de abril a junio de 2010. Para la recolección de datos se utilizó un guión semiestructurado de entrevista. Los datos fueron analizados siguiendo la técnica de análisis de contenido y organizados en dos categorías: el vínculo familiar como facilitador del uso de crack y otras drogas, y el vínculo familiar fragmentado de los usuarios de crack. Entre los diez usuarios investigados, se evidenció: pérdida de los vínculos relacionales con la familia y con el medio social y, presencia de drogas y violencia en el ambiente familiar. La realización de investigaciones sobre el uso de crack y su interfaz con la familia deben ser estimuladas, ya que las familias poseen un papel fundamental en la iniciación y continuidad del uso de drogas.

Crack-cocaine users have less family cohesion than alcohol users

“…[2][3][4][5] Once an SUD is established, it is known to adversely affect several aspects of family life, by factors such as the user's detachment and isolation from real life, aggressive behavior that may include physical violence, lack of interest in peer social activities not related to drug use, and a range of negative emotions (e.g., fear, anger, frustration, and resentment). [5][6][7] Such an unstable environment lacks the resources needed to provide social support, hindering the ability of family members to form healthy and fulfilling relationships, thereby affecting the mental and physical health of all individuals. 8 Conversely, family engagement in treatment has a direct impact on prognosis, as affection and support from the family may in turn improve treatment adherence and outcomes.…”

“…Evidence shows that, in severe cases, interpersonal ties may be broken, leading to progressive isolation and marginalization of substance users. 6 Santis et al, 15 in a study of cocaine users in Chile, found that 73% of the participants perceived their family as dysfunctional, reporting difficulty with communication and emotional attachment, few family rituals, and a weak hierarchical structure. Moura et al 16 evaluated family problems among drug users in Brazil and found that crack-cocaine and cocaine users showed more problems, including arguing and difficulty in getting along with partners, than other drug users.…”

Use of Crack and Other Drugs Among Children and Adolescents and Its Impact on the Family Environment: An Integrative Literature Review

“…In that sense, the articulation with the family and social environment is fundamental for the success of the treatment, rehabilitation and social reinsertion. [16][17][22][23] Study 13, 27 a randomized controlled study (evidence level II), supported the fact that interventions involving children and adolescents, articulated with the family, offer additional protection against the involvement in risk behaviors, such as the use of drugs, in comparison with interventions that only target adolescents. In another randomized study (12), 26 a new aspect was evidenced as a consistent protection factor against drug use.…”

“…The information on the consequences of drug use and the affective bonds between parents and children, guaranteed by feelings of complicity and respect, are important elements to refuse the drug. [16][17][22][23] It was also highlighted that the strengthening of bonds, the creation of rules and the prescription of clear and coherent limits, besides the monitoring, supervision and support for young people in their decisions and attitudes, are fundamental in these individuals' process of growth and emotional maturing. Talking on the theme should be common practice in the family routine (3,8).…”

Usuário de crack em situações de tratamento: experiências, significados e sentidos

“…Seleghim et al (2011), analyzed crack users' family ties in a psychiatric institution, and discovered that the majority of those who had been institutionalized did not have any contact with their parents and that this link had generally been broken from adolescence onwards, and that ex-companions had often become distant due to relationship conflicts. Moreover, the majority did not have any contact with their children.…”