Influência do consumo de Áácool por adolescentes na coesão familiar no bairro de Muhalaze

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the influence of alcohol consumption by adolescents on family cohesion in the Muhalaze neighborhood. It employs a qualitative, exploratory, basic, and descriptive methodological approach, which includes non-probabilistic sampling by typicality and the use of semi-structured interviews combined with the FAST - Family System Test instrument as data collection techniques. Five adolescents participated, whose accounts were interpreted in light of the theoretical frameworks of Minuchin, Olson, and Carter & McGoldrick, articulating them with contemporary studies on adolescence, alcohol consumption, and family dynamics in the African context. The results showed that family cohesion, although present in crisis situations, is fragile, selective, and distant in daily life. The study found a predominance of maternal and/or grandmother figures as mediators of care and affection, while the paternal figure, frequently absent and associated with alcohol consumption, appears as a weakening factor in family bonds. Alcohol consumption by adolescents proved to be a risk factor for the weakening of bonds, the intensification of conflicts, and the limitation of open communication within the family. It concludes that, although the family remains a space of support and protection, alcohol consumption significantly compromises the quality of family cohesion, weakening affective ties and mutual trust. Strengthening family dynamics through the promotion of spaces for dialogue and the implementation of community-based psychosocial support programs aimed at both adolescents and families in the Muhalaze neighborhood is recommended.(TRADUÇAO NOSSA)