Impact on AFMs: Type of Addiction

Although symptoms and consequences of addiction-type problems show great variation according to the substance/behaviour used (i.e. regarding toxicity, legal consequences, stigmatization, etc.), few studies have examined the impact of type of addiction on family members. This chapter is a narrative review of quantitative and qualitative studies that explores whether the type of addiction family members are exposed to accounts for variability of stressors and strain. Although comparative data are scarce, several studies suggest that type and severity of addiction modifies the core experience of affected family members (AFMs), but more research using large-scale samples for quantitative research or theoretical sampling approaches for qualitative studies is mandatory.