“It’s A Revolving Door!”: A Qualitative Study of Family Members’ Perspectives on Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Approximately 8.9 million individuals in the United States misused opioids in 2023, reflecting the opioid crisis’s devastating impact not only on individuals but also on their families. This qualitative study examines family members’ experiences in supporting loved ones with opioid use disorder (OUD), focusing on their roles, barriers to treatment, and perspectives on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 family members, analyzed using thematic analysis, the findings reveal families as essential providers of care and support while navigating limited resources, exclusion from treatment processes, and their own recovery trajectories. The study findings reveal a need for family-centered approaches, including health care provider training, family-inclusive treatment models, and policy reforms to improve treatment accessibility, reduce systemic barriers, and foster sustainable recovery outcomes for individuals with OUD and their families.