Addressing Stigma and Its Impact on Families
By James Armstrong
Substance dependence and its associated stigma are often seen as either a personal issue or a public health crisis. However, families and carers, who bear much of the emotional burden, are frequently overlooked. The Anti-Stigma Network’s first Accelerator session highlighted the barriers families face when supporting loved ones affected by substance use.
The Crisis in Family Support
Focusing on England, the session explored the growing crisis in family support. Record levels of drug and alcohol-related deaths have left thousands of families grieving, many experiencing disenfranchised grief—where societal judgement leads to unacknowledged grief or even blame. Families, whether grieving or caring for a loved one, often lack effective support.
The stigma they encounter comes from multiple sources — society, within their own families, and self-stigma — keeping their struggles hidden. Additionally, there is no dedicated funding stream for research, best practices, advocacy, or direct support for affected families. As a result, families remain on the fringes of drug treatment, healthcare, and mainstream carer support systems.
Key Insights from the Session
Led by Viv Evans, Chief Executive of Adfam, and Amy Dickson, Trustee and Outreach Manager for Nacoa, the session underscored the widespread impact of substance use on families. With 1 in 5 children affected by a parent’s alcohol use and 1 in 3 families impacted by substance use, the need for dedicated family support is clear.
Key themes from the discussion included:
Innovative Family Support Approaches: Many services when faced with the reality of societal and internalised stigma navigate through those barriers using creative outreach strategies, including online sessions, remote support, and community-based programs in pharmacies and supermarkets. Family Services tend to be very good at considering how they use language and engagement techniques carefully in order to reach families that are marginalised by negative social attitudes.
Specialised Family Support Services: Family support requires unique expertise. Professional skills in treating substance users do not always translate to effective family interventions. Understanding family histories and relationships is crucial, as these dynamics can contribute to shame and isolation. Destigmatising approaches tailored for individuals using substances may not be appropriate for family members, including kin carers or children.
Early Intervention in Schools: Schools play a key role in supporting children affected by parental substance use and helping normalise discussions around addiction within families.
Next Steps
The session reinforced that stigma is a major barrier to both individual and family recovery. By fostering open discussions, advocating for funding, and driving systemic change, we can dismantle the stigma-related barriers that prevent families from accessing the support they need.
Look out for future activities in our family-focused anti-stigma workstream.