Cocaine addiction and family dysfunction: a case-control study in southern Brazil.
Family-related factors play a crucial role in the onset, development, and maintenance of drug misuse and addiction. To investigate the hypothesis that families with a cocaine addicted son display more dysfunction than control families, we applied the Personal Authority in the Family System and the Self-Report Measure of Family Functioning to 67 case triads (child-father-mother) in which the son was an inpatient with a primary diagnosis of cocaine abuse or dependence and to 67 matched control triads from the community (Pelotas, Brazil) in 2000. Case children, mothers, and fathers were significantly more likely to present nuclear family triangulation than their matched control subjects. In addition, case triads had a significantly greater chance of perceiving family functioning as enmeshment. These results suggest both structural and functional differences in these families. We argue for the need of interventions in the family as a whole and for further research in this area.
Pinheiro
Ricardo Tavares
RT
Post-graduate Program Health and Behavior of Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil. ricardop@terra.com.br
Pinheiro
Karen Amaral Tavares
KA
Magalhães
Pedro Vieira da Silva
PV
Horta
Bernardo Lessa
BL
da Silva
Ricardo Azevedo
RA
Sousa
Paulo Luis Rosa
PL
Fleming
Manuela
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male