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Creative Brief on Parents’ Role in Stopping Substance Use in Adolescents

Carmella Crooks

School of Public Health, University of Washington

SPH 380 AB

Professor Tyler Watson

February 15th, 2022

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Purpose

Parents play a vital role when it comes to preventing the early onset of substance use in

young children and adolescents. Parenting high in warmth/sensitivity has been found in literature

to be associated with a decrease in substance use. This can be explained because as a child grows

into an adult, parent’s lack the control they once had over the people and places their child are

with or at. Fostering an honest, trustworthy, and communicative relationship provides a means

for parents to continue to guide and manage the decisions their adolescent makes throughout the

span of their youth (Eiden, 2016; Mak, 2019; Van Ryzin, 2012).

Background

The United States has one of the highest rates of substance use and substance use

disorders (SUD) in the world. It was found using the 2020 census data that 4% of the world’s

population has a SUD in the US, with 27% of the world’s drug overdose deaths being in the US

as well, thus SUD are disproportionately affecting Americans today (Forum, 2020). The effects

of SUD not only increase morbidity, but also impact Americans financially. Almost $250 billion

each year is the estimated cost of excessive drinking that occurs in the US, as well as 9% of

healthcare spending goes to treating smoking-related illness (Mak, 2019).

Audience

Prioritizing parents as the target audience of this campaign is incredibly intentional

because studies have found that parents play a huge role in deterring problem behaviors at a

young age that continue to develop into an ability to decrease early onset of substance use based

on the data presented in longitudinal studies (Eiden, 2016). A shift in emphasis is made from

strictly prevention to an added focus on health promotion because as seen in an article by Pentz
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et al., executive cognitive function (ECF) is a single factor that contributes to higher-order

problem solving, self-regulation, and impulse control and was found to be negatively correlated

with substance use, thus if parents can incorporate practice of ECF skills at home, this would be

a major mediator for behavioral change (Pentz, 2013).

Factors Influencing Behavior and Change

Time is a major factor that would influence a parent’s ability to focus on warmth/

sensitivity, open communication, and connectedness. Considering the demands an adult parent

faces throughout each calendar day, it is emphasized on the PSA that these shifts in parenting

styles should not monopolize their time, but rather should be seen as an exchange of time from

the methods practiced previously, to the incorporations of the suggested methods below. The

Health Belief model is being used to organize and answer key questions in regards to this public

health topic because it focuses on the motivation of parents to want to participate in mitigating

risky behaviors such as substance use in their children considering there is strong indications that

they can have a substantial impact on the health and wellbeing of their child by preventing the

early onset of substance use. Not only should the parents be motivated to want to make a

difference in the trajectory of their childs’ lives, they also have a civic duty to minimize the

impacts SUD have on the US already. It was even seen in the Pentz article that fourth graders are

already experimenting, with 4.2% of them having tried a cigarette, and 20.8% having tried

alcohol, thus intervention must start early, perhaps earlier than anyone could’ve imagined (Pentz,

2013). Consequences of substance use are found to be linked to a personal cost such as mental

and physical health problems, lost income, relationship problems, and lost years of life (Mak,

2019). Substance dependence is also linked to a greater likelihood of psychiatric disorder and
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involvement in violent crime. Lastly, substance use is also a key component in general problem

behavior including antisocial or delinquent behavior, risky sexual activity, and academic failure

(Eiden, 2016). This should be enough to convince all parents that action must be taken. To begin,

with a child entering its preschool period, a mother should aim to show warmth and sensitivity

during play interaction because it is linked to higher self-regulation, and higher social

competence at kindergarten age (Eiden, 2016). When the child approaches their transition period

to high school, a parent should also switch their focus away from parental monitoring and more

toward fostering a trustworthy and communicative relationship which leads to higher

engagement in the family system creating the ability to more actively manage the composition of

peer groups, since delinquent peer association is highly linked to use of all three substances

(Eiden, 2016; Mak, 2019).

These steps should not be seen as strict guidelines, but rather as a recommendation on the

course of action to take with one’s kid. The methods of each practice will appear different to

each family unit depending on many factors such as the parent’s job demands and additional

responsibilities that would contribute to taking time away from their child. Perhaps start by

setting a goal of spending 15 minutes at the end of the day with one’s child and focus on open

communication to promote their willingness to share vulnerable feelings. One study also found

an increase in physical activity and physical activity with parents decreases the likelihood of

substance use, so make it a point as a parent to exercise with your child when time allows

because it promotes higher EBF, which is overall beneficial for achieving social competence,

academic competence, and self-sufficiency (Pentz, 2013).

Communication Objectives
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After viewing the PSA, parents should feel motivated to start focusing on emotional

exposure to their children, and away from a stress on control and monitoring their child. Their

focus should shift to fostering a more emotionally-centric relationship via open communication

of their worries and frustrations as well as their successes and excitement that occur on a daily

basis. Go outside, exercise, practice yoga with your child. Do activities that excite you, as a

parent. Ask your child what is something that they want to do, again focusing on an open sharing

of thoughts and ideas.

Creative Considerations

The PSA is in an infographic format as a step by step guide to bettering the health and

wellbeing of children targeted toward the parent audience. The first three steps of the PSA

include ways to promote the warmth/sensitive parenting style by fostering open communication

and honesty with one’s child. The fourth step is meant to add a layer of health promotion to the

prevention-centered intervention methods in an attempt to not only avoid future substance

dependence, but also increase executive cognitive function which is required for high-order

problem solving and acts as a guide to future actions. To read more on the benefits of increasing

ECF, a link was provided at the bottom of the infographic as a QR code (Suchy, Ziemnik, &

Niermeyer, 2017). Lastly, the PSA included a surprising statistic to express the need to act now

as a way to advocate for change sooner rather than later. One barrier that the PSA is attempting

to address is the difficulty for some family members to prioritize time with their child due to

their busy schedules and commitments, so by providing a 15 minute window as a

recommendation to begin, the parent should feel capable of accomplishing this action.
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References

Suchy, Y., Ziemnik, R. E., & Niermeyer, M. A. (2017, July 7). Assessment of executive functions

in clinical settings. Executive Functions in Health and Disease. https://

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128036761000222

Pentz, M.A., Riggs, N.R. Longitudinal Relationships of Executive Cognitive Function and Parent

Influence to Child Substance Use and Physical Activity. Prev Sci 14, 229–237 (2013).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-012-0312-3

Mak, H. W., & Iacovou, M. (2019). Dimensions of the Parent-Child Relationship: Effects on

Substance Use in Adolescence and Adulthood. Substance use & misuse, 54(5), 724–736.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2018.1536718

Eiden, R. D., Lessard, J., Colder, C. R., Livingston, J., Casey, M., & Leonard, K. E. (2016).

Developmental cascade model for adolescent substance use from infancy to late

adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 52(10), 1619–1633. https://doi

org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.1037/dev0000199

Van Ryzin, M. J., Fosco, G. M., & Dishion, T. J. (2012). Family and peer predictors of substance

use from early adolescence to early adulthood: an 11-year prospective analysis. Addictive

behaviors, 37(12), 1314–1324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.06.020

Forum, A. P. (2020, August 16). The importance of drug prevention. APF. https://

www.addictionpolicy.org/post/the-importance-of-drug-prevention
 PARENTS' ROLE IN
STOPPING SUBSTANCE
USE IN ADOLESCENTS
Use this step by step guide to improve the health
and wellbeing of your child

STEP 1. TIME
Prioritize 15 minutes a day toward
fostering an open conversation
between parent and child

STEP 2. MODEL
Model non-use or appropriate use of
substances and address questions
adolescents may have about alcohol

STEP 3. SHARING
Share personal experiences with child
to promote vulnerability and honesty

STEP 4. ACTIVITY
Physical activity with child is
associated with a decrease in substance
use and increase in Executive Cognitive
Function*

SHOCKING STATISTIC
20.8% of fourth graders were found to
have already tried alcohol

INTERVENTION MUST START EARLY

Act now to raise a happier and healthier child

*Read more on ECF using this QR code