Research project Preventing ill-health among close relatives of people with alcohol and drug problems:
Preventing ill-health among close relatives of people with alcohol and drug problems: explanatory models and supply of and demand for support
The devastating effects on close relatives of people with alcohol and / or drug (AOD) problems have been observed in recent research. Apart from empirical support for negative effects on close relatives, the field is under researched. However, it should be emphasised that the situation for relatives varies based on how stressful the situation is and the support strategies the relative has access to.
Project description
The current support offered by the public and private sector to adult relatives appears to be dominated by interventions based on the concept of ‘co-dependency’, which has been described as problematic in the literature.
Based on the fact that relatives of people with AOD problems has been identified as a group that is often in need of support, that the group according to legislation should be offered support, that research on this group is limited and that offered support often is defined in a way that lacks scientific basis, the outlined project will study how existing support is conveyed and offered, and how relatives describe their situation. Research questions:
- What support is offered to adult relatives and which actors in local authorities, regions and civil society mediate this support? What theoretical perspectives and explanatory models is the support related to?
- How do relatives describe their situation and how do these descriptions relate to the existing type of support? Do the descriptions of need for support vary between different groups?
- How do relatives describe their situation of being affected by the social distancing linked to the Covid-19 pandemic? What opportunities for distanced adaptation do those who mediate support foresee?
Project members
Project managers
Lisa Skogens
Senior lecturer
Members
Hans Gunnar Edvin Fagerström
PhD student
Ninive von Greiff
Senior lecturer, associate professor
