Stigma and Coping Strategies Among Families Having Adolescents with Substance Abuse: Literature Review

Abstract

Adolescent substance abuse has been a burning health issue in the world, and its effect on physical, psychological, and social levels is broad and far-reaching, especially affecting the family unit. Families who have adolescents with substance use issues often face a variety of stigmas, such as social stigma, self-stigmatization, and institutional stigma. These experiences may enhance emotional distress, destroy family relationships, and serve as an obstacle on the way to professional help. Stigma also influences how families cope, whether they choose adaptive coping, like professional help-seeking, open communication, or maladaptive coping, like avoidance, denial, or social withdrawal. It is necessary to understand this interaction in order to make culturally responsive interventions. The proposed study plans to evaluate the levels of stigma and coping strategies between families who have adolescents with substance abuse in Cairo, Egypt, where cultural beliefs tend to perceive substance use as a form of moral failing instead of a health concern. The study will use a quantitative cross-sectional design and validated assessment tools to identify the most common types of stigmas and the most commonly used types of coping strategies. The expected results will serve to support nursing practice through evidence-based stigma reduction strategies, enhancing adaptive coping, and increasing family resilience. Eventually, the results will help in promoting stigma-free comprehensive care that will help in recovery of adolescents and in empowering their families.