The Dynamics of Family Relationship in Adolescent Drug Rehabilitation in a Chinese Context

1. The Dynamics of Family Relationshipin Adolescent Drug Rehabilitation in a Chinese Context Timothy SIM, Ph.D. Department of Social Work National University of Singapore

2. Hong Kong Adolescent Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation

3. Aim To map the impact of family relationship in adolescent drug rehabilitation

4. Research Question What are the salient aspects of family relationship in adolescent drug rehabilitation?

5. Theoretical Framework Family systems theory: Structural Family Therapy

6. Research Paradigm Postpositivistic

7. Multiple Methods Integrating ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ perspective

8. Data Analysis Family as a unit Comparison of means Content analysis

9. Limitations Small and Convenient Sample Unclear Direction of Causality Lack Process and Observation Measures

10. Participants Characteristics 34 families 91 participants 34 adolescents 32 mothers 25 fathers

11. Participants Characteristics Male adolescents 19 years old, single completed 9 years of education lived with their parents in public and aided/rental flats Three quarters of the adolescents abstained

12. Participants Characteristics Mothers 45 years old work in manual jobs full-time homemakers. Fathers 49, mostly hold manual jobs.

13. Summary of Findings Four salient aspects positive emotional regard negative interaction positive interaction negative emotional regard at both pre-admission & three-month after discharge.

14. Summary of Findings At pre-admission negative interaction (e.g. conflict) negative emotional regard (e.g. tension) particularly between the adolescent and his parents

15. Summary of Findings At pre-admission

16. Summary of Findings At three-month after discharge family relationship of relapsed adolescents generally less favorable

17. Summary of Findings Combined inside and outside perspectives Families with adolescent drug abuse generally poor in overall family functioning at pre-admission At three-month upon discharge, family functioning consistently improved when adolescents abstained

18. Summary of Findings Surprise Findings Positive family interaction and positive emotional regard are present along with negative family interaction and negative emotional regard

19. Rudimentary Model

20. Practice Implication Improve Family Functioning Cope with Family Stress Build Family Strength Engage Parents as Partners while recognizing the differential roles

21. Research Implication A Framework of Strength and Stress without Blame Chinese Family Model in Adolescent Drug Rehabilitation Expansion of Structural Family Therapy Model in Contemporary Chinese Context

22. Recommendation Interaction of Family Subsystems Interaction of Family and Other Contextual Domains Integration of Outside and Inside Perspectives Understanding Family Dynamics in Relapse Situations

23. Recommendation Implementing Longitudinal Studies Conducting Process Research in Chinese Families Developing Family Typology in Adolescent Drug Rehabilitation Understanding the Individual Functioning in Context

24. Reflection When we answer some questions, we raise others. And no matter how well thought out we think our project is at the beginning, there always are those unanticipated twists and turns along the way that lead us to rethink our positions and question our methods and to let us know that we are not as smart as we think we are (Strauss & Corbin, 1998, p. 55)

25. Discussion Drawings of this presentation were downloaded from http://www.naivedrawing.com/drawingsmyfamily.htm