Families Parenting Adolescents With Substance Abuse—Recovering the Mother’s Voice

Abstract

Alcohol and substance dependency are complex, problematic phenomena, which are growing worldwide. In particular, drug use and abuse among young people is a significant concern. Although addiction presents as a problem of dependent individuals, families are also profoundly affected by the family member’s addiction. In this narrative literature review, we review published research from 1937 to 2014 to capture a narrative and historical perspective of addiction and family. We condense and analyze the experiences of parents with alcohol- and drug-dependent children, to emphasize the need for a more specific, in-depth exploration of mothers’ experiences. Such exploration may advance nurses’ understandings of individual, familial, and social complexities of parenting an addicted child.