The emotional and psychiatric problems of adolescents on parole whose parents are substance users: A Brazilian cross-sectional study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the associations between having parents with substance use problems, and having suffered neglect within the family, and behavioral problems (psychological and drug use) among adolescents. All the participants were enrolled on the socio-educational parole scheme, ‘Assisted Freedom’. In this cross-sectional study, 150 adolescents were interviewed using the Drug Abuse Screening Test, Teen Addiction Severity Index, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Ninety-five percent of the participants were male ( n = 143), aged 13–17. Thirty percent of adolescents had a parent who used substances and had experienced neglect from their families. Those adolescents who were living with both parents (odds ratio adjusted (ORA) = 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13–6.37), from a low-income family (ORA = 6.7, 95% CI = 1.85–24.22), experienced hallucinations (ORA = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.25–6.14), had problems controlling violent behavior (ORA = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.12–5.87), and were physically neglected (ORA = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.24–7.49) were more likely to have parents who used substances and to have experienced parental neglect. This article concludes that adolescents, who are on parole, come from families with high level of psychosocial vulnerabilities, including substance use, experience neglect by their families leading to adverse emotional and psychological states.

The Struggle of Children from Drug-Abusing Families in Facing Social Exclusion

“…Parentification includes situations where children have to take on adult roles and responsibilities, even at the expense of their education, and this can harm children's well-being. Children who experience parentification experience severe psychological distress, excessive stress and have a higher risk of developing mental disorders, as research has shown by Perruci et al (2021) and Chase (1999) that the effects of parentification in childhood can have a long-term impact.…”

“…Drug abuse is a global and public health-related issue in many countries, impacting individuals, families, and communities (Dyba et al, 2019;Freisthler et al, 2017b;Perruci et al, 2021;Khalidass et al, 2021). In Indonesia, the threat of drugs has been considered an extraordinary crime (BNN Republik Indonesia, 2021).…”

The Mediating Role of Social Support in the Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Adolescent Drug Abuse Identification

“…Drug abuse is a social issue of global concern, and an increase in the number of drug abusers has placed a serious burden of disease on individuals, families and society ( Kepple, 2017 ; Perruci et al, 2021 ). According to statistics, approximately 279 million people worldwide used drugs in 2020, representing a 22% increase from the number of drug users in 2010 ( UNODC, 2021 ).…”