title: Exploring resilience in families living with addiction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Information about the impact of addiction on New Zealand (NZ) families is scarce. A good understanding of the nature and extent of family problems is essential to help families become more resilient and minimise the consequences. This study aimed to explore experiences of NZ families living with addiction, identify impacts on non-addicted family members, their coping strategies and barriers to help seeking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature and key stakeholder interviews informed the development of an interview schedule for 29 family participants recruited through health and social services. Interviews were recorded for analysis of central themes and critical elements that underpin those. Key stakeholders and informal informants were again consulted to discuss findings and interpretation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Addiction has widespread effects on NZ families. The coping strategies described by the participants in this project lacked the positive connotations of resilience, namely positive adaptation under significant adversity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family impacts of addiction are complex, and similar family problems arise regardless of the substance(s) involved. This small exploratory study indicates that the implications for NZ families deserve further investigation. Future research is also required to further characterise the impact of behavioural addictions on families, addiction in particular ethnic groupings and the implications of the findings for clinical practice, other social and health services, and for public health and social policy.
authors: Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 7343, Mein Street, Wellington South, New Zealand. helen.moriarty@otago.ac.nz
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Moriarty
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Stubbe
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Bradford
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Tapper
authors: Bee Teng
authors: BT
authors: Lim
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*