Perceptions and experiences of adolescents living with a substance-abusing sibling regarding parental autonomy support

Abstract

Substance abuse has become a major concern in the Western Cape Province of South Africa as it devastates many lives and negatively influences families and communities. When there is a substance-abusing sibling in the family, the wellbeing of other family members and non-substance abusing siblings tends to be neglected. This may mean that families could grapple with parental autonomy support to meet the psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness of the non-substance abusing siblings within the family. However, prior to this study, there was scant insight into the perceptions and experiences of adolescents living with a substance-using sibling regarding parental autonomy support.