Supporting the Families of Young People with Problematic Drug Use: Investigating Support Options

• NCJ Number: 221711
• Author(s): Sally Frye; Sharon Dawe; Paul Harnett; Sascha Kowalenko; Moana Harlen
• Editor(s): Julie Stokes
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 131 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Australian Dept of Health and Ageing
• Sale Source: Australian National Council on Drugs
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: ANCD Research Paper, 15

Annotation

This report from the Australian National Council on Drugs examines the support needs of families who have a young family member who is suffering from substance abuse.

Abstract

This report, commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs, begins with a literature review examining the prevalence of substance misuse among young people in Australia. The results of the review provide an indication of the number of families affected by youth substance misuse and the type of substance misuse that is most likely to occur. The report also investigates the support needs of families with a young family member, defined as being between the ages of 12 and 25, with substance abuse problems. The report is divided into six sections that include: the scope of the problem; the impacts of drug use on family and household functioning; how families respond to drug use by a young person; support and treatment options for young people; current support services for families: an Australian snapshot; and intergenerational effects: the problems faced by kinship carers. References