TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial distress, physical illness, and social behaviour of close relatives to people with substance use disorders
AU - Ólafsdóttir, Jóna
AU - Orjasniemi, Tarja
AU - Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn
PY - 2020/4/2
Y1 - 2020/4/2
N2 - This study explores how a family member with substance use disorder (SUD) affects the psychosocial, behavioral, and physical states of other family members. Sixteen in-depth interviews with relatives of Icelandic individuals afflicted with SUD were performed. The interviewees were selected from a pool of Icelandic families whose members included one or more chronic SUD users. They represented different relations to the user (spouses, parents, children, and siblings) and both genders. All participants except for siblings expressed that SUD had negatively affected their mental health by inducing depression, anxiety, and stress-related physical illness. All had experienced physical violence, mental abuse and financial loss. Parents indicated that the SUD of the family member had isolating psychosocial impacts on their children and caused a loss of connection among their family members. All participants, except the siblings, regarded their workplace as a shelter. The study’s findings can help social professionals to better understand the effects of SUD on families, family systems, and public health in general.
AB - This study explores how a family member with substance use disorder (SUD) affects the psychosocial, behavioral, and physical states of other family members. Sixteen in-depth interviews with relatives of Icelandic individuals afflicted with SUD were performed. The interviewees were selected from a pool of Icelandic families whose members included one or more chronic SUD users. They represented different relations to the user (spouses, parents, children, and siblings) and both genders. All participants except for siblings expressed that SUD had negatively affected their mental health by inducing depression, anxiety, and stress-related physical illness. All had experienced physical violence, mental abuse and financial loss. Parents indicated that the SUD of the family member had isolating psychosocial impacts on their children and caused a loss of connection among their family members. All participants, except the siblings, regarded their workplace as a shelter. The study’s findings can help social professionals to better understand the effects of SUD on families, family systems, and public health in general.
KW - Domestic violence
KW - families
KW - harms to other
KW - mental and physical disorder
KW - social behavior
KW - substance use disorder
KW - SUD
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082924662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85082924662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1533256X.2020.1749363
DO - 10.1080/1533256X.2020.1749363
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85082924662
SN - 1533-256X
VL - 20
SP - 136
EP - 154
JO - The Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
JF - The Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
IS - 2
ER -