Harmful use and addiction in a parent or close relative affects the entire family – and most of all the children. Everyday life, security, parenting, and relationships change. Often, the problems are not openly discussed, which reinforces feelings of loneliness, shame, and guilt.
Many children testify to a childhood marked by parental addiction, and research shows that the consequences can persist well into adulthood. At the same time, both children and parents wish the problems had been recognized earlier – and that support had come sooner.
But there is also hope; research shows that a stable and supportive environment helps strengthen children’s resilience.
👉 Resilience, a capacity developed in interaction with a supportive environment, is a protective factor in itself that allows some children, despite difficult upbringing conditions, to develop positively. Having at least one close and stable relationship with a supportive, protective, and engaged parent, a relative, or another significant relationship with a secure adult outside the family can make a decisive difference.
Many children live in families where an adult has risky consumption
The earlier we see and act, the greater the chance we have to provide children with the security and support they need – here and now. According to an estimate based on HLV, about 400,000 children were registered in a household with an adult who had risky alcohol consumption in 2020. This means that approximately 1 in 6 children in Sweden has a close relationship with an adult at increased risk of physical, mental, and social harm.
Read the report here: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/publikationer-och-material/publikationsarkiv/f/folkhalsan-i-sverige-arsrapport-2025/
At Kontigo Care, we work to offer people, healthcare, and companies digital support that makes change possible – even before it has become a serious problem.