Mental Health Services for Children of Substance Abusing Parents (original) (raw)
Related papers
Mental Health Services for Children of Substance Abusing Parents: Voices from the Community
Community Mental Health Journal, 2012
This qualitative study explores how to improve services for children of parents with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) with unmet mental health needs. Focus groups were conducted with parents and caregivers to identify perceived barriers to services, including: (1) attitudes and beliefs about mental health care, (2) inadequacies in mental health services, (3) children's ambivalence about treatment, and (4) parental disagreement and lack of involvement. Peer support, afterschool activities, and family counseling were identified as potential improvements. This information can serve as a foundation and guide to develop services for the underserved population of children and adolescents of substance abusing parents.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 2018
Purpose of review To provide an update of recent studies of the incidence and impact of parental substance use disorders (SUDs) on children, and to identify effective treatment programs to assist parents with SUDs and their children. Recent findings Children of parents with alcohol and drug use disorders (COPADs) suffer from physical, mental and behavioral problems at higher rates than other children and are more likely to develop their own SUDs in adolescence. Parenting styles and familial dysfunction contribute to the intergenerational transmission of SUDs. Studies of the negative effects of parental SUDs on children identified the effects of inconsistent, disengaged or harsh parenting practices on mother-child bonding. Exposure to violence and father's hostility contribute to children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Family-based intervention programs, as well as programs for mothers with SUDs and their young children, have shown positive results. For high-risk families with multiple needs, the ongoing support of multidisciplinary services is required. Summary Parental SUDs have a profound impact on their children, including intergenerational transmission of SUDs. A variety of interventive programs are being studied in order to devise effective programs to assist these children.
Addressing Substance Abuse Treatment Needs of Parents Involved with the Child Welfare System
The goal of this paper is to synthesize available data to help guide policy and programmatic initiatives for families with substance abuse problems that are involved with the child welfare system, and identify gaps in the research base needed to further refine practices in this area. To date, Family Treatment Drug Court and newly developed home-based substance abuse treatment interventions appear the most effective at improving substance abuse treatment initiation and completion in child welfare populations. Research is needed to compare the efficacy of these two approaches, and examine cost and child well-being indicators in addition to substance abuse treatment and child welfare outcomes.
Understanding the Diverse Needs of Children Whose Parents Abuse Substances
Current Drug Abuse Reviewse, 2012
In this review, we consider the potential service needs of children of substance abusing parents based on what we know about the risk outcomes faced by these children and the parenting deficits often present in these families. Importantly, our review does not address the etiological role of parental substance abuse in children's negative outcomes but instead we discuss the complex interrelated risk factors that often co-occur with and exacerbate risk associated with parental alcohol and drug use. We first review studies showing the elevated risk that children of substance abusing parents face in general for poorer academic functioning; emotional, behavioral, and social problems; and an earlier onset of substance use, faster acceleration in substance use patterns, and higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders. We then review studies showing contextual risk factors for children of substance abusing parents, including parenting deficits (less warmth, responsiveness, and physical and verbal engagement as well as harsher and more over-involved interaction styles), greater risk for child maltreatment, and less secure attachment patterns. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for research and guidelines for professionals working with children and their families where parental substance abuse is present.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
Limited evidence-based practices exist to address the unique treatment needs of families involved in the child welfare system with parental substance abuse. Specifically, parental opioid and methamphetamine abuse have increased over the last decade, with associated increases of families reported to the child welfare system. The Families Actively Improving Relationships (FAIR) program was developed to address the complexities of these families. Evidence-based strategies to address the interrelated needs of parents—including substance abuse and mental health treatment, parent skills training, and supportive case management to improve access to ancillary needs—are integrated in an intensive community outpatient program. This study examined the clinical effectiveness of FAIR when delivered in a Medicaid billable outpatient clinic. Parents (n = 99) were randomized either to the immediate FAIR condition or to the Waitlist (WL) condition, using a dynamic wait-listed design, with all parent...
Family-Based Intervention Program for Parents of Substance-Abusing Youth and Adolescents
The use of drugs among adolescents/youth often results in a high degree of distress for the family members who live with them. This in turn can lead to a deterioration of mental (psychological) health, hindering any attempt to successfully cope with the situation. The goal of our research was to study the effect of the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) program on parents of adolescents/young adult drug users. Study volunteers ( = 50) were parents from Valencia (Spain) that were divided into two groups. The experimental group ( = 25) was made up of parents whose sons and daughters exhibited problems with drug use and the constructed noncausal baseline group ( = 25) was made up of parents whose sons and daughters did not show any substance abuse problems. For both groups, self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), depression (BDI-II), anxiety (STAI), and anger (STAXI-II) were evaluated before and after the application of the CRAFT program. Results show a significant improvement in the experimental group's self-esteem, depression, and anger state and a decrease in negative moods. These changes in parents produce a positive effect on their substance-using sons and daughters: of the 25 participants, 15 contacted specialized addiction treatment resources for the first time.
Improving mental health and substance abuse services for adolescents
Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 1992
This paper focuses on nine overlapping topics dealing with improving mental health and substance abuse services for adolescents and their families, Depending on the state of knowledge of each topic, the authors either highlight the importance of the area or offer a specific position statement. It is intended that these statements be reviewed for possible endorsement by the American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA) and for transmission to other professional organizations, federal and state governmental agencies and the field in general.
2021
Substance abuse is a pervasive issue affecting Canadian families, and a substantial number of children are impacted by alcohol or drug abusing parents. Children exposed to parental substance misuse are at increased risk for negative psychological, emotional, developmental, and behavioural outcomes, and a substantial proportion will go on to experience substance use issues later in life. Early intervention is key to providing support for these children and ultimately disrupting the family cycle of addiction. However, few family-based programs for children of substance abusing families are reported in the literature and information on program theory is lacking. A 2-study dissertation was conducted in order to address these gaps. First, a realist review study was undertaken to systematically review existing evaluations of family-based interventions aimed at improving psychosocial outcomes for children of substance abusing parents. A systematic search of academic and grey literature unc...