Impact Of Drug And Alcohol Use On Family Members: A Study

FAMJ 1011 Substance Misuse Effect on Families

Research aims and objectives

This research proposal would discuss the impact of alcohol and drug misuse on the family members of the victim. Alcohol and drugs misuse, is a growing problem that contributes to destruction of families. Substance abuse is a much-discussed problem in many parts of the world today especially in countries like Australia, United States and UK. Substance misuse or abuse means the harmful and toxic use of psychoactive substances like illicit drugs and alcohol. (Banducciet al. 2014.). The addiction of the victim results in large amount of problems among the family of the victim. It leads to anxiety, depression and psychological tension among the family of the victim who are anxious for the wellbeing of the victim. In families with young children, the adverse effect of substance abuse on their innocence is deadly and as a result, it damages their young minds forever (Sobellet al. 2013).. Numerous studies and researches have been conducted to examine and evaluate the various factors and reasons that lead to this problem and how the family members of the addict suffer.

The aim of this research proposal is to study the harmful effect of illicit drugs and alcohol usage on the extended family members of the addict and discusses how the addiction can result in conflicts, depression and disorder among the family members and extended family members of the addict. The objectives of the research are:

1. To understand the impact of substance misuse over the extended family of the addict.
2. To investigate the substance usage statistics in UK.
3. To understand whether drug and alcohol usage lead to financial instability in the family.
4. To establish the factors that lead to substance misuse among adults.
5. To establish whether alcohol and drug usages in the family adversely affect the children in the family.
6. To understand whether alcohol and drug usages lead to breakdown of families.
7. To recommend the preventive measure that can help in preventing the problem.

The consequence of substance addiction on the addict and their extended families is serious and the damage can be irreversible. Marital relationships and partnerships break down due to the impact of substance abuse (Kellamet al., 2014). In families where both spouses are substance users, the household becomes extremely toxic. The children grow up in a toxic environment. Having an addict in the family can have a negative impression on the mind of the younger children in the family. The younger children learn from their elders and maybe they are the ones who are most severely affected by the addict’s behaviours (Gov.uk, 2018). It leads to loneliness, depression, fear and helplessness among them. In the long run they too inculcate those addictions in their lives. The older people in the family suffer from tension and anxieties. The addict’s temperament, physical deterioration and mood changes affects the family members and pushes them into depression. A large number of addicts are physically very violent and abusive with their families. Addiction impacts the family’s financial and mental health (Volkow et al, 2014.). The family of a substance addict person faces several problems in the society as well. They are ostracized by many and mocked by many.  The family members go through problems and remain unhappy due to the recurring problems created by the addict. Financially the families face lot of problems too. Pregnant mothers who are alcohol addicts create irreversible problems for their unborn child like low birth weight, low development, mental disorder among the foetus. Spouses with substance problems face separations too due to their constant conflicts and problems. A happy family can break down if there is one alcohol and drug abuse in the family. Due to that one person the entire family can collapse.

Literature review

Drug and alcohol abuse is a major social problem in countries like Australia, United States and United Kingdom. The office of national statistics provides data on UK drug situation and conducts extensive research and data to examine the gravity of it. In England and Wales, cannabis is the most popularly used drug (6.5% of the population) followed by cocaine at 2.2% and then ecstasy at 1.5% (DiClemente, Hansen and Ponton 2013).  As per the European monitoring center for drugs and drug addiction (EMCDDA), in 2014 the number of deaths in the UK due to drug overuse was 2,6555 which was a 5% increase on 2013 and it was the highest reported up until that point.  In 2015, UK had 8,758 alcohol related deaths. (Gowing et al. 2015). It is estimated that currently England has around 595,131 problem drinkers (Drugabuse.gov. 2018). The deaths resulting from drug and alcohol issues are high and it takes away the life of young people who could have lived a healthy life.

Alcohol or drug usage can lead to financial difficulties in the family circle. It also results in unemployment because drug and alcohol usages lead to various problems at work and it decreases the productivity at work which can result in job loss (Behnke, Smith and Committee on Substance Abuse 2013). The addiction for drugs and alcohol in the family creates a further burden that causes many families to break down or fulfill even the basic necessities like childcare, education and food. Sometimes the addict also depends on other family members for financial support which further strains relationships. Sometimes addictions result in poverty. The family members of the addict face difficulties in paying off the debt that is incurred by the family. Further the addict’s demand for more and more money to satisfy his addiction poses a serious threat to families.

The two primary factors that lead to substance abuses are internal and environmental issues. Environmental factors include early exposure to drugs, peer pressure, child abuse and lack of guidance. It must be remembered that if an addict is treated and then again he is left in the same environment there is high chance that he will go back to the addiction again. Internal factors include personal problems, stress, mental disorders and depression. Genetics play a key role. Many researchers suggest that the addiction lie at the root level of DNA (Lander, Howsare and Byrne 2013). Children of drugs or alcohol users often choose the same path in life. The environment of the family or school affects the victim’s mind and it can lead to substance abuse among them. Too much stress, competition etc. leads them to seek refuge in drugs (Recovergateway.org 2018). Traumatic past events like physical or mental torture, a painful event in the past makes the victim seek solace in drugs. Peer pressure plays an extremely vital role in substance abuse (Ammerman, Ryan and Adelman 2015). Poverty is a key factor that might lead to cheap substance abuse among adults. Lack of education and knowledge forces these young adults to resort to drugs to seek momentary pleasure (Muncie 2014).

Drugs and alcohol usage statistics in UK

Among all the extended family members in the family of drug and alcohol users who are impacted by its usages children are the worse sufferers. The impact on the child’s mind that he faces in childhood it remains with him forever in his mind (Ammerman et al. 2015). Drug and alcohol usages in the family can lead to loneliness, guilt, fear, anxiety and depression in the children. These children grow up to face bigger risk of emotional and behavioral problems. According to research, children of from families of alcohol and drug users are more likely to grow up to be alcoholics and drug addicts themselves. They are also more likely to marry abusive and alcoholic partners and deal negatively with stress (Degenhardt et al. 2013). These children grow up in highly unstable homes and are unable to understand when his parents would be sober if he needs supervision. They are mostly frightened when they witness repeated violence and suffer from mental disorders. The huge expenses that are required for the alcohols and drugs lead to financial difficulties that the children face from childhood. It sometimes leads to lack of education and food among the children. Child abuses cases are rising all over the world due to drug and alcohol usages in the family. It also leads to physical violence, sexual exploitation and various forms of domestic violence. Communication and healthy environment at homes is absent which leads to several problems.  Drug and alcohol usages during pregnancy results in a large number of complications like various deformities and impaired cognitive functioning in the unborn child. Research also shows these children are more likely to turn to alcohols and drugs when they grow up.

The effect of addiction can lead to financial troubles, loss of jobs, breakdown of marital relationships and destruction of families’ societies and communities (Van Ginneken et al. 2013). Drug and alcohol addiction in the families lead to sexual abuse, physical abuse, divorces, unhappy marriages, child abuse, domestic violence, financial difficulties. Members in the family might argue and fight a lot due to the difficulties that they are facing which can upset the neighbors and friends of the family (Bourne et al. 2015). The person who is an addict does not realize and the other members of the family who wants to help him to recover are abused and ill-treated by the addict. Further the addiction leads to neglect of one’s duties like work and everyday schedule. Their addiction can lead the addict into unnecessary fights and unruly behavior in public which might lead to legal problems in the family.

Drug and alcohol leading to financial problems in the family

To curb the addiction permanently treatment needs to include constant supervision and guidance. The issues that affect the addict and forces him to seek refuge in illicit substances must be removed from the core (Sobell, Sobell. and Ward 2013). It is only after the addict’s environmental or internal anxieties are cured can he successfully stay healthy after the necessary treatments. The role of the families is massive in helping the addict get rid of the addiction. It is with the help and cooperation of the family that the addict can quit his addiction.  Rehab treatment can be hugely beneficial in most instances to enable the addict to quit the habit. However once the treatment is over and the addict is placed in his original setting, the family and friends of the addict play the most crucial role (Drugabuse.gov, 2018). Being judgmental or critical and being harsh to him would not solve the problems. It would instead aggravate the addict’s mental condition. The addict should be treated with love and care and he must not be excessively sympathized. He should be allowed to live his normal life like a normal person. Regular psychological treatment and counseling sessions are extremely vital for them as there are many issues that the addict might not be able to confide to his family but he might share with the psychiatrist. Supervision and guidance from his well-wishers and a healthy surrounding which would calm the turbulent mind of the addict are prerequisites for the addict in getting over his addiction (Capuzzi and Gross 2014).

There are two main types of research philosophy that can be applied in all forms of research. According to Eriksson and Kovalainen (2015), the positivism research philosophy aims to deal with the research problems directly by collection of the relevant elements. In the given case, it is important to focus upon the real facts and truths related to the research topic. Nevertheless, for the current research work, the investigators will use the Interpretivism philosophy that is dependent upon the perception of the people in the matters related with the drug and alcohol abuse within the family members. It will therefore be possible for the researchers to directly interact with the sample population of the research.

Research Design

Three types of research design can be applied in the case of all investigations related to social work. The exact type of research design can be selected based upon the objectives and problem associated with the subject. In case of the explanatory design the collected data from the given subject are judged without considering the positive and negative outcomes of the same. There are also the elements of descriptive research design that are directly aimed to deal with the objectives and research questions (Mitchell and Jolley 2012).

Factors leading to substance abuse

For the given research work, it will be appropriate to use the exploratory research that are needed to understand the psychological aspects of the people, who are responsible for the harmful effect of illicit drugs and alcohol usage on the extended family members. As the exact area of the research problem is not defined clearly, it will be possible for the exploratory research design to provide a proper direction for the new insights. The proper sampling methods can also be used by that will aim to gather the exact forms of data related with social issues of illicit drugs and alcohol usage.

 The research work will mainly depend upon the primary data that are collected from the interviews of the family members, who have faced the issues of illicit drugs and alcohol usage. The researchers will also collect essential data from the mental psychologist, who works for the betterment of the drugs affected family. In order to follow the mixed methods, the researchers will also use the secondary data that are collected from the previous social research works related to drug abuse.

As mentioned by Fielding (2012), the method of triangulation can be applied in the purpose of validating the data that are collected through the methods of cross verification. The major positive aspect of using the methods of triangulation is that it can help to make use of multiple research techniques to finally evaluate the collected data.

The data that are collected in the forms of interview will be analyzed using the qualitative methods. Proper themes can be drawn from the data are gathered from the interview of the family. As secondary data are also collected it can be compared with the primary ones. This will help to understand the changes have occurred within the society about the drug and alcohol abuse within family members.  

There are certain ethics that need to be considered in any research. The location of the interview should be convenient for all the participants. The procedures of interview will be explained to the participants in writing so that there are no problems in understanding the procedures (Degenhardt et al. 2013). Confidentiality is a vital issue for all the participants. The interviewee should not be named and none of the details that he or she shares with the interviewer must be disclosed. Interviewee’s permission is vital for the interviewer before he or she can use the interviewee’s data for his or her study.  Preferably, interviewee should give his or her consent in writing so that further confusions can be avoided. If the interviewee’s materials are to be published in articles, consent must be given in writing. The data will be stored with maximum security so that confidentiality and protection of the data is maintained (Gov.uk 2018). The identity of the participants will not be disclosed and the interviewer has to maintain utmost security to keep all the information private.

To study whether alcohol and drug usages in the family adversely affects children

The Data protection act needs to maintain as a part of the research ethics. This will help to ensure that the sensitive information that is collected from the victims of drugs and alcohol abuse are solely used for research work. Any forms of misuse of relieving private information to the public domain needs to strictly restricted (Reding 2012).

References

Banducci, A.N., Hoffman, E.M., Lejuez, C.W. and Koenen, K.C., 2014. The impact of childhood abuse on inpatient substance users: Specific links with risky sex, aggression, and emotion dysregulation. Child abuse & neglect, 38(5), pp.928-938.

Behnke, M., Smith, V.C. and Committee on Substance Abuse, 2013. Prenatal substance abuse: short-and long-term effects on the exposed fetus. Pediatrics, 131(3), pp.e1009-e1024.

Capuzzi, D. and Gross, D.R. eds., 2014. Youth at risk: A prevention resource for counselors, teachers, and parents. John Wiley & Sons.

Degenhardt, L., Whiteford, H.A., Ferrari, A.J., Baxter, A.J., Charlson, F.J., Hall, W.D., Freedman, G., Burstein, R., Johns, N., Engell, R.E. and Flaxman, A., 2013. Global burden of disease attributable to illicit drug use and dependence: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 382(9904), pp.1564-1574.

DiClemente, R.J., Hansen, W.B. and Ponton, L.E. eds., 2013. Handbook of adolescent health risk behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.

Drugabuse.gov. (2018). Mental Health Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/health-consequences-drug-misuse/mental-health-effects [Accessed 3 Feb. 2018].

Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen, A., 2015. Qualitative methods in business research: A practical guide to social research. Sage.

Fielding, N.G., 2012. Triangulation and mixed methods designs: Data integration with new research technologies. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 6(2), pp.124-136.

Frone, M.R., 2013. Alcohol and illicit drug use in the workforce and workplace. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.

Gov.uk. (2018). Alcohol and drug misuse prevention and treatment guidance – GOV.UK. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-prevention-and-treatment-guidance [Accessed 3 Feb. 2018].

Gowing, L.R., Ali, R.L., Allsop, S., Marsden, J., Turf, E.E., West, R. and Witton, J., 2015. Global statistics on addictive behaviours: 2014 status report. Addiction, 110(6), pp.904-919.

Health. (2018). Drugs statistics | Department of Health. [online] Available at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/drugs-statistics [Accessed 3 Feb. 2018].

Kellam, S.G., Wang, W., Mackenzie, A.C., Brown, C.H., Ompad, D.C., Or, F., Ialongo, N.S., Lander, L., Howsare, J. and Byrne, M., 2013. The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: from theory to practice. Social work in public health, 28(3-4), pp.194-205.

Mitchell, M.L. and Jolley, J.M., 2012. Research design explained. Cengage Learning.

Recovergateway.org. (2018). Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction | Gateway Treatment Centers. [online] Available at: https://recovergateway.org/substance-abuse-resources/drug-addiction-effects/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2018].

Reding, V., 2012. The European data protection framework for the twenty-first century. International Data Privacy Law, 2(3), pp.119-129.

Sobell, L.C., Sobell, M.B. and Ward, E. eds., 2013. Evaluating alcohol and drug abuse treatment effectiveness: Recent advances. Elsevier.

Van Wormer, K. and Davis, D.R., 2016. Addiction treatment. Cengage Learning.

World Health Organization and World Health Organization. Management of Substance Abuse Unit, 2014. Global status report on alcohol and health, 2014. World Health Organization

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