Family Functioning of Addicted and Non-Addicted Individuals: A Comparative Study

BACKGROUND Family functioning is considered to have a significant impact on the beginnings and maintenance of substance use. OBJECTIVES The main purpose of this study was to examine and compare the dimensions of family functioning among addicted and non-addicted individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, the study sample consisted of 228 individuals, including 118 addicted and 110 non-addicted subjects. The addicted persons were recruited from patients who attended the Baharan Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic for treatment of substance dependence disorders and 110 non-addicted (normal) individuals who were selected from normal populations (students, staff of the hospital and people accompanying patients without a history of substance use) through convenience sampling. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) was used to assess six dimensions of family functioning. The data were analyzed using descriptive indexes (ie, frequency, mean and standard deviation) and t test. RESULTS The results showed significant differences in the mean scores of family functioning dimensions including; problem solving, communication, roles, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, behavioral control and overall family performance (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Results of this study confirmed the lower functioning levels of substance dependent clients' families on all subscales of the FAD, than in families of non-addicted individuals. It is therefore concluded, that providing interventional strategies for the prevention and treatment of substance use that focus on and involve families in the delivery of health care services is a necessity.