Supervisors info:
Παπαρρηγόπουλος Θωμάς, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Πομίνι Βαλέρια, ΕΔΙΠ, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τριανταφύλλου Καλλιόπη, PhD, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Ample research has been conducted to study the role the family may play in the development, maintenance, and treatment of addiction. Most of the research has focused on the addict’s family of origin, studying the characteristics of family members, their interactions and events in the family’s circle of life that can become risk factors. Relatively less research has been done on addicts’ partners. Studies have focused on low satisfaction in the dyadic relationship, low functioning of families with one dependent parent, and levels of anxiety and depression of the non-dependent partner.
Objectives: Τhe aim of this study was to investigate the female partners of people with addiction problems and especially their relationship with their parents and their family history compared with female partners of community controls. Moreover, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the anxiety and depression levels of the female partners of addicts, the dyadic adjustment and general relationship quality and the level of family functioning compared to families that belong to the general public.
Methods: In the research 44 women (mean age 38 years, SD=7.9) participated who were partners of people that face addiction problems, and are members of Family Counselling Programs of THERAPY CENTER FOR DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS (KETHEA), and 42 women (mean age 36 years, SD=7.9) that were part of the control group. Participants completed the following questionnaires, one for the Demographic characteristics, the questionnaire for the Role in the family of origin, the Mc Master Family Assessment Device (FAD), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), the Early Trauma Inventory – Self Report (Short Form) (ETI-SR-SF), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
Results: On the demographic characteristics of the two groups, statistically significant associations were those concerning the number of couples that have at least one child (p=.005) and the level of education of the partner (p=.007). Regarding parental bonding and childhood trauma there were not statistically significant differences between the two groups. Regarding dyadic adjustment, the mean for the clinical group was 90.2± 22.2 while for the control group 113.2± 16.4. Statistically significant differences (p=.042) were noted in the functioning of the families, the mean for the clinical group was 2.72± 0.57 while for the control group 3.01±0.75. Moreover, the individuals of the clinical group showed higher rates of depression in contrast with the individuals of the control group, the mean for the clinical group was 7.9±2.7 while for the control group the mean was 5.3±3.2.
Conclusions: The findings of this study showed low satisfaction in the dyadic relationship with an addicted partner and low levels of function of the families with a partner with addiction problems. Also, the present study highlighted the emotional difficulties of the female partners of addicts. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the problems of families with an addicted partner and consequently to a better evaluation of services, which are considered necessary to be included in addiction treatment programs in Greece.
Keywords:
Addiction, Dyadic relationship, Parental bonding, Family function, Anxiety, Depression
