Perceptions and experiences of adolescents living with a substance-abusing sibling regarding parental autonomy support
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Substance abuse has become a major concern in the Western Cape Province of South Africa as it devastates many lives and negatively influences families and communities.When there is a substance-abusing sibling in the family, the wellbeing of other family members and non-substance abusing siblings tends to be neglected.This may mean that families could grapple with parental autonomy support to meet the psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness of the non-substance abusing siblings within the family.However, prior to this study, there was scant insight into the perceptions and experiences of adolescents living with a substance-using sibling regarding parental autonomy support.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of adolescents living with substance-abusing siblings regarding parental autonomy support.Methods: An interpretive qualitative exploratory-descriptive research approach was used to gain understanding of, and insight into, the phenomenon of living with a sibling who was abusing substances and parental autonomy.Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 14 adolescents living with a substance-abusing sibling.Participants included both males and females, aged 13 to 19 years, who were living in Delft in the Western Cape.Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide.All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim.Thematic analysis was used to generate codes, categories and themes.Trustworthiness was ensured by using credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.Ethics approval was sought from the university ethics committee.Ethics considerations that were adhered to included informed consent, confidentiality and privacy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy and justice.Findings: Four themes were identified: 1) Parenting in our families, 2) Hardship in decision-making, 3) "Environment where we live in", and 4) Adolescents' coping strategies.These themes accompanied by their categories were developed from the grouping of codes.Conclusion: Overall, the findings of the current study highlighted that families raising children who were abusing substances failed to meet all three psychological needs of the adolescent children who did not abuse substances.Accordingly, the adolescents http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ endurance to see this through.The road was long but in the end it was so worth it.To my husband Marc, thank you for walking this journey with me, for never giving up on me and for your support, love and understanding.Thank you for the endless cups of tea and coffee when I needed that pep-me-up to carry me through the many hours of working late.To my supervisor, Professor Lisa Wegner, thank you for believing in me and picking me up when I was lost and drowning.Thank you for your motivation and for pushing me "in your own way" when I had that deflated look and wanted to
Author: Marilyn Dudley
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3136755355