Adolescent drug abuse in chinese families: An insider perspective

Understanding of the role of the family in adolescent drug abuse and rehabilitation in Chinese contexts is scarce, particularly from an insider's perspective that elicits the voices of the participants. This study maps the salient aspects of family relationships in adolescent drug rehabilitation in Hong Kong. Thirty-four Chinese male adolescents, 32 mothers, and 25 fathers participated in pretreatment and posttreatment interviews using the family grid. From a content analysis of the constructs employed by the families, tenderness, forcefulness, social interaction, and emotional arousal were prevalent at both pretreatment and posttreatment. Surprise findings include the presence of tenderness at both pretreatment and posttreatment. The study concludes that there is a need to reconceptualize the idiosyncratic role of Chinese parents in adolescent drug rehabilitation.