Accelerating the Pace of Science: Improving Parenting Practices in Parents with Opioid Use Disorder

Abstract

A public health emergency exists in the United States as a result of rising overdose deaths related to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). With the rise of OUD has also come an increase in the number of children exposed to parents who suffer from an OUD. There is a pressing need for parenting interventions for individuals with OUD to provide safe environments for the children being reared in the face of this epidemic. Research on parenting with an OUD is sparse, but it is impractical to move linearly from basic research to program development and implementation given the urgent need for intervention-a trajectory that prior research has established takes approximately 17 years. We have created an outline of strategies that can be used to accelerate the pace of science so that parenting practices are more immediately improved for this population. First, we summarize what is already known about OUD and parenting to characterize mechanisms that existing interventions have targeted and optimal settings for the wide dissemination of implementable interventions. Next, we identify existing interventions that either specifically target parents with OUD or mechanisms specific to parents with OUD. We describe four different approaches for accelerating the pace of science to improve the lives of parents with OUD and their children. By doing so, we hope to provide a roadmap for future researchers and practitioners to deliver more timely evidence-based interventions to address the additional burden placed on families and communities due to the rise in OUD in the United States.

Improving Parenting Practices Among Fathers Who Misuse Opioids: Fathering Through Change Intervention

“…Although there is more to be understood regarding fathering and opioid misuse, in line with recent proposals to accelerate the pace of science for parents who misuse opioids (Cioffi et al, 2019 ), it is prudent to apply existing fathering interventions to fathers who misuse opioids and simultaneously seek to answer basic science questions. Although there are existing effective medically-assisted treatments (e.g., methadone, naltrexone, buprenorphine) and established cognitive behavioral therapies for individuals who misuse opioids (Lam et al, 2009 )—including some that have been directly tested among fathers who misuse opioids—we know of no evidence-based programs that are specifically tailored for fathers who misuse opioids.…”

“…Understanding the lived experiences of fathers who misuse opioids and the differences between fathers who misuse opioids and other populations will provide information on how interventions can be adapted and developed to improve fathering outcomes for fathers who misuse opioids. However, there is limited time to conduct basic research when there is an imminent need to improve outcomes for parents who misuse opioids (Cioffi et al, 2019 ). Thus, there are opportunities to incorporate basic science questions into intervention research and for existing fathering interventions to be adapted for fathers who misuse opioids to facilitate recovery and improve parenting practices among fathers who misuse opioids.…”

“…Recent work has highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of science for parents who misuse opioids in order to rapidly improve the lives of children and families affected by the rise in opioid use in the United States (Cioffi et al, 2019 ). To accelerate the pace of science specifically for fathers who misuse opioids, this paper describes the extant research on fathers who misuse opioids and highlights the opportunity to use and adapt existing fathering interventions to improve fathering practices among fathers who misuse opioids while simultaneously filling gaps in basic scientific knowledge about this population.…”

The Family Check-Up Online: A Telehealth Model for Delivery of Parenting Skills to High-Risk Families With Opioid Use Histories

“…Similar to patterns observed in research with parents who use a range of substances, the past research has documented the link between opioid use and negative parenting behaviors. Risk factors for negative parenting practices associated with parents with opioid use histories include psychopathology, comorbidity, socioeconomic status, parenting style or parenting knowledge, emotion regulation, level of distress, and negative care-taking behaviors ( Cioffi et al, 2019 ). The previous studies also suggest a high level of comorbidity between opioid dependence and other mental health disorders.…”

“…As both a precursor and an outcome of opioid misuse, emotion dysregulation may also impede parents’ ability to provide adequate childcare and responsive parenting ( Mayes and Truman, 2002 ). Research also indicates that parents with opioid use histories often lack basic parenting information and utilize coercive, negative parenting strategies which exacerbate the risk of child abuse and neglect ( Mayes and Truman, 2002 ; Cioffi et al, 2019 ).…”