Treatment Issues for Aboriginal Mothers with Substance Use Problems and Their Children

Abstract

In many cultures, approximately one third of people with drug dependence are women of childbearing age. Substance use among pregnant and parenting women is a major public health concern. Aboriginal people have some of the highest rates of substance abuse in Canada, increasing concern for detrimental health impacts, including those for women and their children. For many women, substance abuse offers a means of coping with trauma, such as childhood abuse, partner violence, and, for Aboriginal women, the intergenerational effects of colonization. In this paper, we review treatment issues for Aboriginal mothers with substance use problems and their children. We discuss gender-specific issues in substance abuse, the need for women-specific treatment, the impact of substance abuse on children and parenting, the additional risks for Aboriginal women and children, and the need for integrated programs (those that integrate pregnancy-, parenting-, and child-related services with women-specific addiction treatment). We describe New Choices as an example of an integrated program, review research on existing treatment for Aboriginal mothers with substance use issues, and describe Sheway as a promising integrated program for Aboriginal women with substance abuse issues and their young children. There are few treatment programs specifically for Aboriginal mothers with substance use issues and their children and very little research on their effectiveness. Based on our review of existing evidence, we offer recommendations for future research and practice.

Awakening: 'Spontaneous recovery’ from substance abuse among Aboriginal peoples in Canada

“…Related, scholars have reported that Indigenous people's cultural identity is important to their well-being (Berry 1999;Kirmayer et al, 2003;Mohatt et al, 2008;Smillie-Adjarkwa, 2009). This was highlighted most recently in a Canadian study of the healing journeys of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women recovering from illicit drug abuse (Niccols et al, 2010). These findings support the literature that has identified culture as a key determinant of health and well-being for Aboriginal peoples (Newbold, 1998;Reading, n.d.).…”

Effectiveness of Prenatal Screening for Substance Use: Critical Consciousness, A Promising Curriculum for Compassionate Screening

“…In many cultures, approximately one third of people with drug dependence are women of childbearing age [1], and in the USA, five percent of pregnant women reported the use of an illicit drug during pregnancy [2]. In Alberta, the reported prevalence of substance use by pregnant women was 30% for tobacco, 25% for alcohol, and 15% for illicit drugs [3,4].…”

Papanicoloau smear uptake among substance-using mothers in Western Australia

“…Approximately one third of people with AOD dependence are women of child-bearing age (Niccols, Dell, & Clarke, 2010). Poole (2007) found that many women identify substance use as a way to cope with gender-based abuse and trauma.…”

“…Numerous barriers to preventive health care exist for AOD using women, (Burns et al, 2011;Milligan et al, 2002;Niccols et al, 2010;Roberts & Pies, 2011;Rots-de Vries, van de Goor, Stronks, & Garretsen, 2011); these include difficulties accessing services, poverty, coexisting mental illness, guilt, denial or embarrassment regarding their AOD addiction, fear of discomfort or indignity (Chen, Hung, Duffy, Yen & Chen, 2011) and a history of sexual trauma (Taylor, 2011). Pregnancy is known to be a time when women who would otherwise not have access to or make contact with health services do engage with care providers (Higgins, Clough, Frank & Wallerstedt, 1995); antenatal care interactions with AOD addicted women are therefore an ideal time to offer women the Pap smear test, however often, the offer of a Pap smear is missed because of a lack of health practitioners' knowledge or skills (Bayer, Nussbaum, Cabrera, & Paz-Soldan, 2011: Guvenc, Akyuz & Yenen, 2013.…”