Thai Family Support (TFS): Working with families of young substance users in primary health care
Working with families of young substance users in primary health care: The effect of the Thai Family Support (TFS) program on quality of life, general psychological wellbeing and family relationships.
Queensland University of Technology
90 participants
Sep 1, 2009
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
The National household Survey on Substance and Alcohol Use in Thailand showed that approximately 2.5 million people had used at least one kind of substance in their lifetime. That comprised 5.42% of the total population aged between 12-65 years in 2007. It has become strongly evident that alcohol and drug use of individuals can seriously affect family members who live with them, as well as their close friends. Impacts on families who are living with a substance user fall into 5 areas: physical and psychological health of family members, poor family relationships resulting from their relative's substance use, financial impacts and employment impacts, disruption of social life, and impact on families in relation to different types of substance. Despite the deep and wide-ranging impact of substance use on other family members, families typically receive little or no support from treatment services, which instead, tend to focus attention on helping the substance user. The objectives of this program are to: a) Increase well-being of Concerned Significant Others (CSOs) and reduce mental distress b) Increase rates of Substance Users (SUs) seeking help and engaging in treatment , and c) Improve relationships between Concern Significant Others (CSOs) and Substance Users (SUs).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria8
- Aged over 18 years
- A member of the nuclear or extended family, or another person with a
- close relationship with a substance user (SU) (e.g. spouse, unmarried intimate partner, parent, children, grand parent, sibling, other relatives, or boyfriend/girlfriend)
- Sufficient contact with substance users such as living with them or in contact with
- them on at least 40% of days in the prior 3 months (including telephone contacts)
- Living less than 30 kilometres radius from the research site.
- His/her substance using relative does not enter alcohol or other drug treatments (except for any religion treatment)
- The person's substance using relative is a young person aged between 14 – 30 years
Exclusion Criteria7
- People will be excluded if they:
- Met criteria for an alcohol or substance use disorder as assessed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV).
- Having illicit drug use or engaged in any domestic violence
- Met criteria of DSM-IV for serious psychotic disorders that is of
- sufficient severity to interfere with understanding of the program’s procedure.
- His/her substance using relative engaged in previous drug and alcohol treatment in the past 3 months
- His/her substance using relative met criteria of DSM-IV in serious psychotic disorder that is of sufficient severity to interfere with understanding of the program’s procedure
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Interventions
Thai Family Support is an intervention for families of young substance users. This intervention was developed based on the 5-step method and Community Reinforcement And Family Training program together with Thai culture. It comprises about 14 hours of group treatment with the families of the substance users delivered over 6 sessions over 6 weeks. The treatment is designed specifically to support family members, so the substance users themselves do not attend. Sessions cover a variety of skills and techniques to help families deal with their substance-using relatives and help them manage their psychological functions and maintain well-being.
Locations(1)
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ACTRN12609000775213