Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: How are Family Factors Related to Substance Use Change?

Abstract

Parental involvement in adolescents' substance abuse treatment is highly recommended, even though the mechanisms explaining how this favors youths' recovery are not well understood. The present study examines the association between (1) changes in adolescents' substance use and parenting practices, as measured by adolescent self-disclosure and parental warmth; (2) changes in mothers' mental health and their parenting practices, and (3) parental use of services offered by substance abuse treatment centres, parenting practices and adolescent substance use. In total, 147 adolescents and 69 mothers participated in this study. Participants were assessed upon adolescent admission into treatment, as well as at three- and six-month follow-up. Results show an association between improved maternal mental health and greater parental warmth, as perceived by adolescents. In addition, greater parental use of treatment services was found to be associated with greater adolescent self-disclosure and greater reduction of adolescent substance use. Finally, greater adolescent self-disclosure and parental warmth were both associated with lower adolescent substance use. These findings underscore the need to facilitate parents' access to and involvement in treatment of adolescents. The parent-adolescent relationship and the mental health of parents are essential aspects to consider for interventions.

Investigating the Effect of Family Counseling on the Acceptance and Support of Patients under Methadone Maintenance Treatment

“…The findings are also inconsistent with those of the study by McCollum et al (2014), who showed that people who were always supported by the family members had inefficient conflict resolution strategies and solutions to problems (20), as well as the study by Bertrand et al (2013), who believed that family support for addicted people could lead to individual's coquetry and lack of effort to obtain a job and, as a result, unemployment and more free time, and this led them to drug reuse (21). Generally speaking, these studies more emphasize the extreme support provided by the family to people with drug abuse, while the focus of our study is on the positive aspects of social, informational, and instrumental support.…”

Marijuana-, alcohol-, and drug-impaired driving among emerging adults: Changes from high school to one-year post-high school

“…Previous research has indicated that both facilitating and protective factors associated with substance use may be modified by environmental changes (Bertrand et al, 2013; Sloboda, Glantz, & Tarter, 2012). However, the extent to which changes in post-HS environment may affect DWI is unclear.…”

Predicting Substance Abuse Relapse: The Role of Social Interest and Social Bonding

“…Although this is a modest finding, it highlights the protective nature of family bonding among those in treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. The importance of including clients’ families in addictions treatment programs has been well documented in the literature (Bertrand et al, ; Edwards & Steinglass, ; O'Farrell, ). Specifically, previous social bonding research supports the role of parental or family attachment in substance abuse at various stages across the life span, including adolescence (Ford, ) and adulthood (Hartwell, ; Sampson & Laub, ).…”