Adolescent substance abusers and their parents: The perspectives of 'insiders' and 'outsiders'

This research examined the differences between families who have an adolescent who has been hospitalized for chemical dependency as compared to preexisting norms on families who do not have an identified adolescent drug abuser. Subjects were 23 adolescents, whose mean age was 17, who were being treated for chemical dependency in a four to six week in-patient program, and their parents. The study obtained information on the family's functioning through two perspectives: the family's self-report (the "insider's" view) and clinical observation by the program's family therapists (the "outsider's" view). The adolescents and their parents in this study completed a demographic questionnaire and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale III (FACES III). Parents were additionally given a Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The clinical raters utilized Olson's Clinical Rating Scale (CRS).; Results of family measures indicate significantly more extreme dysfunction on the cohesion dimension of FACES III (p {dollar}<{dollar}.01), though non-significant results were achieved on the adaptability dimension. The parents' DAS scores revealed significantly lower scores than did the normative sample (p {dollar}<{dollar}.001), though the scores were also significantly higher than the sample of divorced couples (p {dollar}<{dollar}.001). The clinical raters viewed the families as less disturbed on the cohesion dimension of the CRS than the families rated themselves on FACES III (p {dollar}<{dollar}.001). There were no differences between the groups (raters versus families) on the adaptability dimension. The element of unexpected family death failed to differentiate the subject families from each other on either the cohesion or adaptability dimensions of FACES III.; Implications discussed include the subject families' higher socioeconomic status as compared with previous research, difficulties inherent in the constructs of cohesion and adaptability as measured by two superficially similar instruments (FACES III and CRS), and the effects of hospitalization on families' scores. Future research should include the whole family, provide a hospitalized control group, and utilize measures which incorporate qualitative elements of emotional bonding and intimacy. Unresolved mourning present in families with a substance abusing member is an area deserving of further exploration.