Family Impact Assessment: How Much Is a Loved One's Substance Use Affecting Your Life?

For: Family members or close others of someone who uses · Takes 2 minutes · Reviewed by Dr. Pichayut Kasempukdeepong (Psychiatrist), 7 September 2026

Families of people who drink or use drugs usually carry the impact quietly, in money, relationships, work, and their own mental health, often without noticing that they are reaching their limit. This assessment gives you an overview of which parts of your life are affected and whether your own symptoms have reached a level that deserves care.

It follows the Stress-Strain-Coping-Support framework of Orford and colleagues, which describes how relatives of people who use substances live under pressure (stress) that builds into strain, moderated by how they cope and the support they receive. When you finish, we suggest continuing to the family coping assessment. Everything is calculated on your device. Your answers are not stored or sent anywhere.

Source: An assessment developed by the Day One medical team on the Stress-Strain-Coping-Support framework (Orford et al.) to help families take stock of their situation. It is not a diagnostic tool, and the levels shown are for communication, not clinical criteria.

How Family impact assessment scores are interpreted

After you finish, your result is interpreted using the ranges below. The result is an initial screen, not a diagnosis.

Score	Level and what it means
0–10	Low impact Their situation is affecting your life and health at a low level. Keep looking after yourself this way, and come back to reassess if things change. Try the coping assessment next to see whether the way you are handling things is sustainable.
11–20	Moderate impact Their problem is starting to affect your life, and you are showing signs of accumulated stress. Families are entitled to seek advice without waiting for the person to be ready. Talking to a professional often reveals options you had not seen.
21–30	High impact You are carrying a high level of impact, both from their behaviour and from the load you have taken on. Situations like this make carers ill too. Do not cope alone. We recommend talking to a psychiatrist or family therapy team soon.