Article Version of Record

Quality of sibling relationship and substance misuse: A comparative study

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Tsamparli, Anastasia
Frrokaj, Elvisa

Abstract / Description

The aim of the current study is to examine the quality of sibling relationship in families with a sibling with substance misuse (SSU) and compare the relationship to families with a sibling with no use (SNU). Thirty-six (36) families participated in the study (17 with SSU and 19 with SNU; N = 144). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 siblings (20 SNU and 20 SSU; 18-31 years old) in order to qualitatively investigate the characteristics of the sibling relationship. The siblings were not identified with any psychopathology, according to SCL-90R. Moreover, we considered the family cohesion and adaptability, as identified by the FACES III (administered to the whole sample) and the family constellation (including number of children, birth order, gender, family size, family structure, years of substance misuse and socioeconomic level). The results of the thematic analysis seem to support Furman and Buhrmester’s (1985) framework, in the context of SNU families. Nevertheless, when considering families with SSU the framework is enriched with a new axis: Loss/mourning. The substance misuse seems to provoke an overturn of the representation of the sibling relationship: the behavioral changes (i.e. disengagement) of the sibling with drug use are experienced as a loss by the sibling non user, thus triggering the psychological process of ‘mourning’. Moreover, in these families, the sibling with no drug use seem to experience differential parenting, they feel neglected, angry and they take up a parental role towards the SSU, whom they experience as “sensitive” and “vulnerable”.

Keyword(s)

sibling relationship substance use family functioning

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2016-03-23

Journal title

The European Journal of Counselling Psychology

Volume

4

Issue

1

Page numbers

123–147

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Tsamparli, A., & Frrokaj, E. (2016). Quality of sibling relationship and substance misuse: A comparative study. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 4(1), 123–147. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v4i1.78
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Tsamparli, Anastasia
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Frrokaj, Elvisa
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-29T07:49:02Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-29T07:49:02Z
  • Date of first publication
    2016-03-23
  • Abstract / Description
    The aim of the current study is to examine the quality of sibling relationship in families with a sibling with substance misuse (SSU) and compare the relationship to families with a sibling with no use (SNU). Thirty-six (36) families participated in the study (17 with SSU and 19 with SNU; N = 144). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 siblings (20 SNU and 20 SSU; 18-31 years old) in order to qualitatively investigate the characteristics of the sibling relationship. The siblings were not identified with any psychopathology, according to SCL-90R. Moreover, we considered the family cohesion and adaptability, as identified by the FACES III (administered to the whole sample) and the family constellation (including number of children, birth order, gender, family size, family structure, years of substance misuse and socioeconomic level). The results of the thematic analysis seem to support Furman and Buhrmester’s (1985) framework, in the context of SNU families. Nevertheless, when considering families with SSU the framework is enriched with a new axis: Loss/mourning. The substance misuse seems to provoke an overturn of the representation of the sibling relationship: the behavioral changes (i.e. disengagement) of the sibling with drug use are experienced as a loss by the sibling non user, thus triggering the psychological process of ‘mourning’. Moreover, in these families, the sibling with no drug use seem to experience differential parenting, they feel neglected, angry and they take up a parental role towards the SSU, whom they experience as “sensitive” and “vulnerable”.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Tsamparli, A., & Frrokaj, E. (2016). Quality of sibling relationship and substance misuse: A comparative study. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 4(1), 123–147. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v4i1.78
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-7614
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1656
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2022
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v4i1.78
  • Keyword(s)
    sibling relationship
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    substance use
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    family functioning
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Quality of sibling relationship and substance misuse: A comparative study
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    The European Journal of Counselling Psychology
  • Page numbers
    123–147
  • Volume
    4
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record