The Role of Family in Youth Opioid Misuse: A Literature Review

Abstract

Objective: With the opioid epidemic reaching declared a public health emergency in recent years, a synthesis of recent knowledge outlining the impact of opioid use disorders on youth and families is needed. To this aim, this exploratory literature review examined how the role of family is discussed in research on youth opioid misuse, with the goal of acting as a springboard for further research and treatment development that could mitigate the negative impacts opioids are having on families and youth. Method: Peer-reviewed journal articles between 2008 and 2018 were accessed through PsycINFO in March 2018. A total of 279 unduplicated articles were identified through the search. Upon abstract and full-text review, a total of 21 articles met criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Findings: Overall, the role of the family in adolescent opioid misuse was not commonly discussed in the literature, with 21 of 279 (7.5%) of articles meeting inclusion criteria for the current study. In the included articles, the following major themes were identified: (1) family factors affecting adolescent opioid misuse behavior and (2) family’s role in treatment of adolescent opioid misuse. Conclusions: The review evidences there is a relative paucity of literature on relational variables and youth opioid misuse. More practice-based scholarship, as well as more rigorous clinical research, is needed to inform future steps for clinical processes, policy, and research.