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families and drugs
why?
why not?
Vivienne Evans
The evidence
Families affected by addiction problems are
important for two significant and related
reasons:
 Involvement of family members in the
treatment of their relatives with addiction
problems can enhance positive outcomes
(Orford, 1994)
 Family members in these circumstances
show symptoms of stress that merit help in
their own right (Coppello, 2005)
Scale
 Approximately 7 million people
affected by someone else’s substance
misuse
 150,000 affected by drug use in
prison
 250,000 children of problematic drug
users
 Over a million children affected by
parental alcohol misuse
Policy context
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Models of Care
Updated Drugs Strategy 2002
Carers’ Act 1995
Health Care Commission/NTA report
NICE guidance
Hidden Harm
Social Exclusion Action Plan
Aiming High for Children
Impact
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Social
Financial
Physical
Psychological
Criminality
Stigma
Personal and societal
Benefits
To
To
To
To
user
family itself
communities
economy
Why not?
Family member/carer?
User v carer
Lack of national
commitment
Opportunities for the future…
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Resilience
Early interventions
Work with whole families
Outcome evaluation
Multi-dimensional picture
Research into specific groups