Mexican-American families: A psychoeducational approach for addressing chemical dependency and codependency

Chemical dependency and codependency are often referred to as family problems, and the ways in which families frame these problems may be influenced by their ethnic and cultural background. Increased efforts are being made to help families understand the problems that arise from alcohol and other drug abuse by utilizing approaches that take into consideration their unique cultural aspects. This article reviews some of the ways in which Mexican-American families, in particular, may view chemical dependency and codependency. More importantly, it describes the cultural adaptation of a psychoeducational program to help. Mexican-American parents, primarily mothers whose children are drug involved or who are considered to be at risk for drug use, better address these problems.