Adolescent substance abuse and family: Evaluating parents difficulties with an ecological systems approach

Objective: This study aims to examine the experiences of parents of substance-abusing adolescents from an ecological systems perspective. It explores how parents discovered their children's substance use, their initial reactions, the psychological impact, the coping strategies they employed, and how they utilized social support resources. Additionally, the effects of this process on family dynamics and social relationships were analyzed. Method: A phenomenological approach was adopted to investigate the experiences of parents whose adolescent children (aged 12–17) were involved in substance use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using content analysis, based on Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework, with the support of MaxQDA software. The study is limited by its small sample size and single-site design, which restricts the generalizability of the findings. However, it offers in-depth and original insights into the topic. Findings: Sociodemographic characteristics, family structure, environmental influences, and the risk level of the neighborhoods in which the participants resided played a significant role in adolescent substance use. School dropouts were common among the adolescents, along with disruptions in sleep and eating patterns. Parents described their children's peer environments as negative and risky, highlighting easy access to substances and low neighborhood security as contributing factors. Families typically recognized their children's substance use through behavioral and physical symptoms. During this period, they experienced intense emotions such as anger, denial, fear, and emotional exhaustion. Parents took actions such as seeking medical help, changing their environment, and conducting their own research to support their children's treatment. Substance use had adverse effects on the families' mental health, work life, economic situation, and social relationships. Both strengthened emotional bonds and communication breakdowns were reported in parent-child interactions. Environmental risks and intra-family problems were noted as major contributing factors. Conclusion: The findings suggest that parents of substance-abusing adolescents go through a complex, intense, and challenging process. From the perspective of the ecological systems approach, it is evident that multiple factors at the individual, family, and environmental levels contribute to substance use, and the addiction process impacts not only the individual but the entire family system. Parents often become aware of their children's substance use at a late stage, which is typically accompanied by strong psychological reactions. Throughout the process, families relied on both internal coping mechanisms (such as patience, acceptance, and self-education) and external resources (such as healthcare services and social support). Substance addiction should not be viewed solely as an individual health issue; rather, it is a multidimensional problem affecting the family, the social environment, and society at large. Therefore, interventions must be approached from a multidimensional and systemic perspective.