The relationship between family functionality and addiction

This research examined the relationship between family functionality and addiction. It explored seven dimensions of family functionality as defined by the Family Assessment Device (FAD). The FAD was administered to 154 addicted subjects who were hospitalized at local chemical dependency facilities in the Memphis metropolitan area. They were asked to respond to the statements on the FAD based upon their families of origin. The same procedure was employed with a random sample of 304 general population subjects selected from the Memphis metropolitan area. The scores for both groups were compared for a statistically significant difference using a two tailed t-test for independent samples. This t-test was two tailed because this study did not imply direction in the nature of the relationship, it only attempted to ascertain if a relationship existed. The results showed a strong statistical relationship between family functionality and addiction. The random sample showed statistically better family functioning than did the addicted population in relation to their families of origin. It was concluded that a relationship does exist between family functionality and addiction, however; the nature of the relationship is not resolved by this research.