Experiences of parents of substance-abusing young people attending support groups

Archives of Public Health

Sarah Hoeck²  Guido Van Hal¹ 

[1] University Scientific Institute for Drug Problems (USID), Antwerp, Belgium

[2] Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610, Antwerp, Belgium

关键词: Flanders;    General practitioners;    Feelings of stress;    Support groups;    Parents;    Young adults;    Substance abuse;   

Others  :  791175
DOI  :  10.1186/0778-7367-70-11

 received in 2012-03-12, accepted in 2012-05-16,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

Substance abuse puts a burden on the physical and mental health and well-being of individuals and their families, particularly parents. Parents of substance-abusing young people are in need of professional or informal support and information. Potential and easy accessible sources are support groups. We explored the experiences of parents of substance-abusing young people attending support groups regarding several topics related to the substance-abuse of their son or daughter, the impact on their lives and their views on social support.

Methods

In this small-scale qualitative study based on in-depth interviews, we interviewed parents of substance-abusing young people focusing on their experiences concerning having a substance-abusing relative and attending the support group.

Results

All parents displayed feelings of stress and strain. They appeared to be highly satisfied with their participation in a support group. The expert status and knowledge of the facilitator and the provision of accurate information in the support group was also much appreciated. They were however dissatisfied by the attitude and knowledge of their GP.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that parents benefit from joining support groups, particularly in terms of emotional and social support and the practical information they received.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Hoeck and Van Hal; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1 .

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