A study designed to understand if adolescents abusing substances affect family variables. Three groups of families, with approximately twenty-five families per group, were the subjects. One group was hospitalized adolescents abusing substances and their parents, a second group was hospitalized adolescents not abusing substances and their parents, and a third group was non-dysfunctional adolescents and their parents. The families were an available sample referred specifically for this study by therapists, educators, and youth workers. The interviews were conducted between April and December 1987. Each adolescent and parent were administered the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III), the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, the Index of Self-Esteem, and a demographic questionnaire. Results showed that the two inpatient groups were very similar in the perceptions of adolescents and their parents on cohesion, adaptability, open communication, problems of communication, and self-esteem. Both inpatient groups significantly viewed their families as disengaged in cohesion. All three groups viewed adaptability as not significant. The two inpatient groups viewed significantly less open communication and significantly higher problems of communication than the non-dysfunctional group in their families. The two inpatient groups viewed significantly lower self-esteem than the non-dysfunctional groups did, among family members. The level of family dysfunction appeared to influence these family variables more than if an adolescent was abusing substances