Please, see me'Informal and professional support of students with relatives with addiction problems

Introduction

Addiction problems also affect the lives of family members, referred to as Affected Family Members (AFMs). This study aims to examine: (1) AFMs’ experiences with informal and professional support in coping with the impact of relatives' addiction problems and (2) how these experiences evolve.



Methods

Four rounds of in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted over three years. Thirty students of a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, aged 18-30 years, participated in the study at baseline. 93% participated in at least two interviews, and 80% participated three or four times.



Results

Four main themes were extracted from the data: (1) Informal support; (2) Educational support; (3) Health care support; and (4) Support needs. Most AFMs in our study received support from various people in their social environment and a wide range of professionals. Informal and educational support were described as helpful more often than health care support, although half of the AFMs did not discuss their experiences at high school or university. Only a few participants had long-term relationships with professionals they trusted. Finding helpful healthcare support was often a long road through various therapies and therapists. Some participants perceived professionals as lacking in knowledge, awareness, or even sympathetic understanding. Participants were not attracted to group interventions.



Discussion

Teachers and study coaches should be trained to identify students suffering from the addiction problems of their family members, to discuss these experiences, to gain knowledge of services, and to refer them adequately. Healthcare professionals should be better informed about the experiences of AFMs and the strain on their physical and mental health. This would prevent negative reactions and promote empathy from professionals. Therefore, it is recommended to train healthcare professionals to understand AFMs’ experiences, recognize their support needs, and help them to cope.