Affected family member coping with a relative with alcohol and/or other drug misuse: A cross‐sectional survey questionnaire

Abstract

Families have a crucial role supporting a relative with alcohol and/or other drug misuse, but the role has adverse implications for family members’ coping, which in turn, affects their ability and willingness to support the relative. The aim of this study was to assess the coping behaviours of affected family members of relatives with alcohol and/or other drug misuse and to assess if there was a relationship between the level of coping and family member type and support‐giving experience. A cross‐sectional survey design was used, and 90 respondents completed the questionnaire. Results suggest the following associations: that ‘Other’ family members made more frequent use of maladaptive coping strategies than intimate partners (P = 0.012); family members whose role had a negative effect on their physical health made more frequent use of maladaptive coping strategies than those whose role did not have this effect (P = 0.014); and family members whose role had a negative effect on their ability to socialise used maladaptive coping strategies more often than those whose role did not have this effect (P = 0.003). Engaged and tolerant‐inactive maladaptive coping strategies had a significantly greater adverse influence on family members’ physical health and/or socialising than withdrawal coping strategies. Affected family members should be supported to use adaptive coping strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of their support‐giving role and to sustain them in this crucial support‐giving role. Family and friends, mental health nurses, and other clinicians in the alcohol and other drug field have an important role in supporting family members in this context.

Stress Adaptation Among Family of Adolescent with Substance Use Disorders: Systematic Literature Review

“…The engaged and tolerant-inactive coping subscales revealed the importance of the association between the effect on AFMs' physical health and socializing abilities in helping the relative with AOD [17] usage and subscale scores. AFMs who indicated that their support-giving role had a negative impact on their physical health and/or ability to socialize scored higher in both of these subscales than those who did not; as a result, the former group used these coping techniques more frequently than the latter [22].…”

“…Participants also experienced personal challenges which included emotional problems, fear, and self-blame. Participants also expressed family disruptions and financial drain as adverse experiences as a result of their sons' misbehavior McCann et al [22] This study aimed to appraise the coping behaviors of AFMs of relatives with AOD misuse and to assess if there was a relationship between their level of coping and AFM type and support giving experience A cross-sectional survey design…”

“…Family members who are affected by physical health tend to have maladaptive coping compared to family members who are not affected by physical health. Family members with disrupted social activities tend to have maladaptive treatment compared to family members whose social functions are not disrupted [22]. Research conducted by Jackson et al, involving 16 mothers and two fathers who have adolescents with drug use problems found that they experience emotional problems.…”

Stress-adaptation among Family of Adolescent with Substance Misuse: Systematic Literature Review

“…The engaged and tolerant-inactive coping subscales revealed the importance of the association between the effect on AFMs' physical health and socializing abilities in helping the relative with AOD usage and subscale scores. AFMs who indicated that their support-giving role had a negative impact on their physical health and/or ability to socialize scored higher in both of these subscales than those who did not; as a result, the former group used these coping techniques more frequently than the latter [22].…”

“…Participants also experienced personal challenges which included emotional problems, fear, and self-blame. Participants also expressed family disruptions and financial drain as adverse experiences as a result of their sons' misbehavior McCann et al [22] This study aimed to appraise the coping behaviors of affected family members of relatives with alcohol and other drug misuse and to assess if there was a relationship between their level of coping and affected family members type and support-giving experience A cross-sectional survey design Family members whose role had a negative impact on their physical health used maladaptive coping strategies more frequently than those whose role did not, and those whose role had a negative impact on their ability to socialize used maladaptive coping strategies more frequently than those whose role did not. Adaptive coping that is both engaged and tolerant-inactive Choate [23] Adolescent alcoholism and drug addiction: The experience of parents…”