Family solidarity in the face of stress: responses to drug use problems in Greece

Abstract

Background: In the past, Greek drug-affected families had predominantly been conceptualized as one of the main causes of drug problems. This study explored the ways drug-affected families respond to, and cope with, a relative’s drug problem by examining the perceptions of both Greek drug users and drug-affected families. Method: A qualitative study comprised of semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted in two state drug agencies in Thessaloniki, Greece. A total of 40 adult problem drug-using men and women and eight parents of problem drug users were asked to reflect on the ways families respond to, and cope with, drug use. The method of data analysis involved a manual systematic identification of themes in participant narratives in line with analytic induction principles. Results: After discovery of the drug problem, all families were reported as coping with their adult children’s drug problems in ways consistent with the stress-strain-coping-support model. The emergent high engagement and low withdrawal coping exhibited by study participants can be contextualized by situating these strategies within the Greek cultural milieu and the notion of familism. While the data illustrate the importance of family solidarity in the face of addiction, caution is invited in making generalizations as sample selection may provide an alternative explanation for study findings. Conclusion: The paper advocates for a non-pathological view of drug-affected families and highlights the importance of cultural context. The stress-strain-coping-support model helps to depathologise and better understand family reactions to problem drug use. Implications for non-stigmatizing and culturally relevant policy and practice are outlined

An unknown invisible intrusion. Impact of an adult family member’s problematic substance use on family life: a meta-ethnography

“…The option of expelling the drug-using family member from home was a topic that hardly ever came up in these families (Arcidiacono et al, 2009;Church et al, 2018;Hodges & Copello, 2015;McCann et al, 2019). This is also conveyed by family members with PSU (Fotopoulou & Parkes, 2017). Studies report how family members felt that the drug-using individual also belonged to the family and did not want to leave them homeless (Arcidiacono et al, 2009;Church et al, 2018;Hodges & Copello, 2015).…”

“…Eventually, many families experienced painful resignation upon realizing that nothing could stop the family member from choosing alcohol or drugs over family relations. The family members with PSU who felt that their families tolerated their drug use had often used substances for many years (Fotopoulou & Parkes, 2017). The other family members were helplessly watching the self-destruction resulting from PSU.…”

“…Cultural notions of the family differ between countries. Attachment to the nuclear and extended family, the so-called 'familism', was especially significant in Mediterranean or Latin families (Arcidiacono et al, 2009;Fotopoulou & Parkes, 2017). Familism is an ideology that put the family's need prior to the needs of the individuals (Campos et al, 2016).…”

“…Many family members felt shame and blame for being closely related to a person with such difficulties and distanced themselves from social relationships outside the family. Some family members also experienced that the received support from outside 'come at a price' and felt humiliated (Church et al, 2018;Fotopoulou & Parkes, 2017).…”

“…Despite the well-documented fact that adult family members' PSU affects family life, more nuanced knowledge is needed. In this meta-ethnography, only two studies represented experiences from both substance-using family members and non-using family members (Fotopoulou & Parkes, 2017;N€ asman & Alexanderson, 2017). Based on these two studies, all family members seemed to describe the same influences, but more knowledge is needed to understand nuances and differences.…”