Addiction and the Family International Network (AFINet) Webinar Series
- brings together researchers, policy-makers and practitioners;
- promotes the well-being of family members, friends and colleagues who are affected by or concerned about another person’s problems with or addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling; and
- develops research, policy and practice in the field.
All Webinars are recorded and those recordings are made available a few days later on the AFINet website www.afinetwork.info/webinar-series/recent-webinars. The list of past Webinars is below, beneath the programme for future ones.
Participation in each webinar is free, but to join, you MUST register beforehand. For each Webinar that you are interested in, please register in the few days before it starts, via webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar. Below the programme you can find a video recording of each Webinar that has been presented so far, along with the PowerPoint slides for that Webinar. As we are a small charity, if you can donate a small amount for each webinar, this would be really appreciated. We suggest 30Euro/Dollars or £25 Paypal takes about 5% of the payment and banks can take up to 20% so Paypal is preferable.
Payment Details – You can request an invoice – gillvelleman@gmail.com
You can either pay through the website through Paypal (click here) or pay by BACS or web transfer.
Bank: CO-OP. Name: Addiction & the Family International Ntwrk
Address: PO box 250, Delf House, Southwat, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT, uk
Sort Code: 08-92-99. A/C No: 65824603
BIC: CPBK GB22. IBAN: GB70 CPBK 0892 9965 8246 03
Future Webinars
AFINet Webinars will take place on alternate months: November, January, March, May, November (with a break in July/August) and will move between Tuesday/ Wednesday/ Thursday, so people with regular commitments on one of those days will still be able to attend on the others.
NOTE: THE TIME IN EUROPE IS EARLIER THAN USUAL, DUE TO THE SPEAKERS’ LOCATION
Title: Improving outcomes of children whose parents misuse substances: Results from meta-analyses and example of an evidenced-based program
Presenters: Professor Sharon Dawe, PhD, School of Applied Psychology,Griffith University Brisbane, Australia and
Liz Eggins, PhD Metro North Mental Health (Queensland Health) and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith UniversityBrisbane, Australia
Chair: Professor Ruth McGovern University of Newcastle, England
Description: The outcomes for children and parents living in environments that have multiple challenges such as parental substance use and mental health problems, histories of trauma, and financial and social deprivation is typically poor. There is often higher engagement in the child protection system and academic and social outcomes for children are often compromised. There has been a proliferation of parenting programs in recent years, but to date, little attempt to quantify effectiveness across a broad range of studies. This talk will first provide an overview of a systematic review and meta-analyses that syntheses the literature on psychosocial, pharmacological, and/or legal interventions for families affected by parental substance misuse. The effectiveness of these interventions is assessed using a broad range of child psychosocial outcomes, including engagement with child protection agencies, development, psychological and behavioural wellbeing, and educational engagement and achievement across 36 meta-analyses. Key findings highlight the importance of integrated approaches that focus on multiple areas of family wellbeing including parental wellbeing and substance use. The second part of this presentation will focus on the Parents under Pressure (PuP) program, developed for families with parental substance use and other complex problems. This will provide an example of one approach that addresses multiple problems in families with parental substance use. The PuP program incorporates a focus on quality of care giving relationship between children and carers and parental/carer emotional regulation.
To register (mandatory): Please use the following link which will be available after the March 2025 Webinar: https://webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar
Upon registration you will receive the Zooms/Teams link to participate in the Webinar.
Title: Adult siblings of Individuals with Substance Use diagnosis: registered Family situation, Employment status, and Healthcare utilisation
Presenter: Solveig Glestad Christiansen, PhD and Torleif Halkjelsvik, PhD, Department Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Description: Adult siblings of individuals with substance use problems represent a group of affected family members that has received less attention than others. Due to shared genetic and environmental factors, as well as challenges like competition for parental resources in childhood and the burdens of caretaking in adulthood, these siblings may face their own difficulties. We investigated their life circumstances based on what can be derived from Norwegian administrative registry data. This included assessments of family situation (e.g., union status, parity), labour market position (e.g., student status, employment, welfare benefits), and healthcare utilisation (e.g., consultations, hospital admissions). Using substance use-related diagnoses in health registries from 2008 to 2018, we identified X(*) individuals with substance use problems and linked them to X siblings. Approximately X% of the Norwegian adult population are siblings of individuals with records indicating substance use problems. Across all domains, these siblings fare worse than those in the general population. Even after excluding siblings with any substance use-related health records (X%), substantial discrepancies remained.(*): analysis of these data is still ongoing. Final numbers will be presented at the Webinar.
To register (mandatory): Please use the following link which will be available after the March 2025 Webinar: https://webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar
Upon registration you will receive the Zooms/Teams link to participate in the Webinar.
Date: Tuesday 25th November 2025, 09.00 am UK time, 19.00 pm Queensland time, 20.00 pm Sydney time ; other times www.worldtimebuddy.com
NOTE THE TIME IN EUROPE IS EARLIER THAN USUAL, DUE TO THE SPEAKERS’ LOCATION
Title: Understanding gambling-related harm to affected others: Insights from Australian research
Presenters: Dr. Cathie Tulloch, PhD,Research Fellow,School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, Australia Chair: Rob Campbell SHARC, Australia
Description: Despite the significant impact of gambling-related harm on those close to someone with a gambling problem, there has been limited research into what factors influence these harms. Dr Tulloch’s research, using a large-scale Australian quantitative study, investigates the complex interactions between relationship closeness, coping strategies, and social support in shaping the experiences of those close to a person who gambles. By applying an established theoretical framework (stress–strain-coping-support model), this work identifies who is at greatest risk of harm, and factors that may exacerbate harm or provide protection, highlighting the importance of tailored interventions. This webinar will explore how these insights can inform practical strategies to support those impacted, improve their wellbeing, and reduce the broader impacts of gambling-related harm.
To register (mandatory): Please use the following link which will be available after the March 2025 Webinar: https://webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar
Upon registration you will receive the Zooms/Teams link to participate in the Webinar.
Make A Donation
As a charitable organisation, we rely on donations to keep going. If you would like to make a donation, please add in your amount you want to donate in the box below where it says 20. This amount is in pounds so please adjust to take account of any conversions from your currency. Please be aware that Paypal takes about 5% of your fees so if you want AFINet to receive the full amount, please increase your amount- all is appreciated.
