Exploring the Impact of Parental Drug/Alcohol Problems on Children and Parents in a Midlands County in 2005/06

Abstract

This small-scale research project used semi-structured interviews and a 'Draw and Write' technique to explore the views of parents / carers and children and young people about the impact of parental substance use and implications for services. Most adult participants had recognised their need for help and had obtained treatment for their drug / alcohol use. Children were aware of the emotional turmoil caused by their parents' substance use; social workers were important people in their lives. Families in the study either needed substantial help from their extended family, or from Social Services (now Children's Social Care), or both. Most parents were ambivalent or self-critical about their abilities as parents and had tried to combine their substance use with ensuring that the basic needs of their children had been met. Access to methadone prescriptions had helped stabilise the lives of parents who had previously been heroin users. Parents' wish to look after their children properly, or to resume their care, was a powerful motivator for them to stop using drugs / alcohol. Children, who displayed considerable resilience, were largely aware of parental substance use and its impact on family life. Implications for professionals supporting substance-using families are highlighted.

Experiences of Drug Use and Parenting among Women in Substance Abuse Treatment: An Exploratory Study

“…Findings highlight the role of adverse personal histories of neglect, abuse, and violence that appeared to carry over from childhood into adulthood, possibly predisposing women to drug use to fulfill many needs such as escape from pain and trauma as has been found in earlier studies (Hardesty & Black, 1999). A significant proportion of participants in the current study had been mandated to treatment and, similar to earlier studies (Fraser et al, 2009), the primary motivation for treatment was the threat of their children's removal temporarily or permanently from their custody. Mothers in the current study expressed intense feelings about their bonds with their children and forcefully underscored their central identities as mothers.…”

“…Findings from the current study also pointed to substance-abusing women's commitment to treatment completion and its link to child custody and parenting. Under these circumstances, substance abuse counselors and child welfare workers often serve as the key and possibly only sources of help and support as has been reported in earlier research (Fraser et al, 2009). Hence, outreach should be included as a key component of service provision not only in substance abuse treatment and child welfare programs but in community-based and medical settings as well; especially prenatal and pediatric care (Berry et al, 2003;Lam, Wechsberg, & Zule, 2004).…”

Exploring the Experiences of Parents and Carers whose Children Have Been Subject to Child Protection Plans

“…A high proportion of these families commended the contributions of specialist drug and alcohol agencies. Echoing the findings of Fraser et al (2009), some parents heavily dependant on substances were motivated to change their habits by their desire to continue or resume caring for their children.…”

The Mental Health and Life Satisfaction of Children of Drug Abusers in Wenzhou, China

“…Haggerty et al (2008) showed that family interventions have a pivotal role in reducing the substance use disorders among the male children of drug abusers. Family intervention for the families of drug abusers may provide support and resources for the children according to the available methods for the drug abuser intervention (Fraser et al 2009;Gilchrist and Taylor 2009). Dore et al (1995) thought that it was not feasible to enact laws to punish psychoactive drug use behavior during pregnancy.…”