1. Torkel Richert, associate professor, Malmö University
Parents to adult children with drug problems seeking support from the social services – stories about shame, struggle and despair
AFINet International Conference at The Discovery Museum, in Newcastle, UK, November 2018
Torkel Richert, associate professor, Malmö University

2. Being a parent to an adult child with drug problems – A research project at Malmö University
The first Swedish study on parents of adult children with drug problems
Research grants from The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) and The Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority (Brottsoffermyndigheten)
A self-reporting Questionnaire (N= 687)
Qualitative interviews with 32 parents

3. Research themes
Exposure to crime (e.g., theft, vandalism, threats and violence)
The impact on health, social life, work ability and economy
Experience of guilt and shame
Parents’ explanations for the child’s problems and behaviors
Coping strategies
Views on codependency
Experiences of contacts with authorities and support efforts

4. The Swedish context
The social services in the municipalities are responsible for treatment and support for drug users and their relatives
Limited professional support for affected family members
Parent associations have played an important role in Sweden

5. Parents to adult children with drug problems - a particularly vulnerable group?
Strong emotional bonds between parents and children
Social beliefs about parenting and parental responsibility
“Failure” in the parenting role is strongly associated with guilt and shame
The stigma connected to drug abuse also affects parents
The secrecy act hinder influence and transparency in relation to authorities

6. Central themes in the parents’ stories
Seeking support for the child - a long and difficult process
“Having to fight against those who should be helping”
Confidentiality, bureaucracy and powerlessness
Too much responsibility is placed on the child
To cover up when the support-system fails
Being labeled a bad or difficult parent
When the cooperation with social services works

7. Barriers to adequate support
Psychological barriers
Guilt and shame
The risk of stigmatization and categorization
Fear of Social Services and the loss of control
Structural / organisational barriers
Limited access to support
Secrecy laws
Lack of collaboration and poor quality of support

8. Implications The importance of reducing barriers to help-seeking
The importance of listening to the parents’ stories and meeting their needs
The parents relationships with authorities can have a big impact on feelings of guilt and shame
The importance of seeing parents as a resource in the children’s treatment process
A great need for better support efforts for parents

9. Possible points for discussion
Similarities and differences in support efforts for affected family members between different countries
Co-dependency as a concept / label / diagnosis, Pros and Cons?