Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support
Background: Children of parents with alcohol problems are at risk for serious long-term health consequences. Knowledge is limited about how to recognize those in need of support and how to offer respectful services. Method: From nine interviews with adult children from families with alcohol problems...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2016-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijqhw.net/index.php/qhw/article/view/30673/46132 |
| _version_ | 1818584193008926720 |
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| author | Anne Werner Kirsti Malterud |
| author_facet | Anne Werner Kirsti Malterud |
| author_sort | Anne Werner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Children of parents with alcohol problems are at risk for serious long-term health consequences. Knowledge is limited about how to recognize those in need of support and how to offer respectful services. Method: From nine interviews with adult children from families with alcohol problems, we explored childhood experiences, emphasizing issues concerning potentially unmet needs for professional support. Smart's perspective on family secrets and Goffman's dramaturgical metaphor on social order of the family focusing on the social drama and the dramaturgy enacted by the children supported our cross-case thematic analysis. Findings: The social interaction in the family was disrupted during childhood because of the parent's drinking problems. An everyday drama characterized by tension and threats, blame and manipulation was the backstage of their everyday life. Dealing with the drama, the children experienced limited parental support. Some children felt betrayed by the other parent who might trivialize the problems and excuse the drinking parent. Family activities and routines were disturbed, and uncertainty and insecurity was created. The children struggled to restore social order within the family and to act as normally as possible outside the family. It was a dilemma for the children to disclose the difficulties of the family. Conclusion: Altogether, the children worked hard to perform a normally functioning family, managing a situation characterized by unmet needs for professional support. Adequate support requires recognition of the children's efforts to perform a normally functioning family. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:17:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c129dfef8be640a4ac58397bc04fbd04 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-2631 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:17:17Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| spelling | doaj.art-c129dfef8be640a4ac58397bc04fbd042022-12-21T22:38:14ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being1748-26312016-04-0111011110.3402/qhw.v11.3067330673Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional supportAnne Werner0Kirsti Malterud1 Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway Research Unit for General Practice, Uni Research Health, Bergen, NorwayBackground: Children of parents with alcohol problems are at risk for serious long-term health consequences. Knowledge is limited about how to recognize those in need of support and how to offer respectful services. Method: From nine interviews with adult children from families with alcohol problems, we explored childhood experiences, emphasizing issues concerning potentially unmet needs for professional support. Smart's perspective on family secrets and Goffman's dramaturgical metaphor on social order of the family focusing on the social drama and the dramaturgy enacted by the children supported our cross-case thematic analysis. Findings: The social interaction in the family was disrupted during childhood because of the parent's drinking problems. An everyday drama characterized by tension and threats, blame and manipulation was the backstage of their everyday life. Dealing with the drama, the children experienced limited parental support. Some children felt betrayed by the other parent who might trivialize the problems and excuse the drinking parent. Family activities and routines were disturbed, and uncertainty and insecurity was created. The children struggled to restore social order within the family and to act as normally as possible outside the family. It was a dilemma for the children to disclose the difficulties of the family. Conclusion: Altogether, the children worked hard to perform a normally functioning family, managing a situation characterized by unmet needs for professional support. Adequate support requires recognition of the children's efforts to perform a normally functioning family.http://www.ijqhw.net/index.php/qhw/article/view/30673/46132Alcoholfamily secretschildhoodhealth caresocial interactiondramaturgical metaphorinterviews |
| spellingShingle | Anne Werner Kirsti Malterud Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being Alcohol family secrets childhood health care social interaction dramaturgical metaphor interviews |
| title | Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| title_full | Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| title_fullStr | Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| title_full_unstemmed | Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| title_short | Children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality: A qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| title_sort | children of parents with alcohol problems performing normality a qualitative interview study about unmet needs for professional support |
| topic | Alcohol family secrets childhood health care social interaction dramaturgical metaphor interviews |
| url | http://www.ijqhw.net/index.php/qhw/article/view/30673/46132 |
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