Life situation when your partner has substance use problems : Quality of life and everyday experiences

Abstract

Substance use problems (SUPs) in a family member have a highly negative impact on both the person experiencing such problems and his or her relatives. An estimated 10 – 30% of people are affected by SUPs in a close family member. Several studies have been conducted on relatives of people with SUPs, and they have documented strains such as physical and mental health problems, isolation, lack of support, and disturbance of family routines. However, the partners of people with SUPs seem to have been studied mostly from a psychological perspective, using personality pathology as a model to explain them remaining in such a dysfunctional relationship. Furthermore, partners in these families have received limited attention from research as well as from health and social services, and the social and cultural contexts that these family members live in might have been ignored. This seems to particularly be the case if the partner cares for children alongside the person with an SUP. In Norway, legislation and guidelines impose on health and social services that relatives should be included and involved when a family member has an SUP, as well as receive support if they have substantial care tasks or burdens. To inform and include the partners of people with SUPs according to these legislations and guidelines, as well as to be able to identify their specific support needs, focusing on their life situation, quality of life (QoL), and everyday experiences is crucial.