The Impact of Substance Use and Addiction on Families’ Quality of Life in the Canadian Context

Introduction: Canada has a significant substance use problem with 18% of the population meeting the criteria for alcohol use disorder. Twenty-one percent of its population uses marijuana of which 75% use other substances, 0.3% misuse sedatives, and 1% stimulants. One percent of the opiates prescribed are used for nonmedical purposes. Addiction is often regarded as a family disease because it causes enormous stress and family dysfunction that affects their physical, mental, emotional, and psychological well-being. This phenomenon is referred to as co-dependency. Objectives: This chapter aims to describe the impact of substance use on families using an ethnocultural lens. Methodology: We draw from three projects with three population subsets to draw attention to the complexities of the impact of addiction on families’ quality of life based on unique socioethnic attributes. Key findings: Co-dependency significantly impacts the quality of life of affected family members (AFMs). Their capacity for self-care is significantly hindered by the lack of recognition of co-dependency as a bona fide disorder rendering their suffering invisible. Implications: Co-dependency should be designated as a determinant of health and demands the development of policies that provide a pathway for AFMs to receive care. Conclusion: Utilizing a cultural lens in understanding co-dependency and its impact can ensure that interventions to be developed must be culturally sensitive.