Aidan Holz

Applied Psychology. SUNY Canton

HUSV 281: Foundations of Chemical Dependency and Treatment

Prof. Angela Doe

December 7, 2023
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When an individual develops a substance use disorder, they may be hesitant to get help,

whether this is because they refuse to recognize the issue at hand or due to the possibility that

they do not know where to turn for help or how to reach out. Failure to get help can cause a SUD

to worsen, causing dangerous outcomes for the individual and others around them. In particular,

children can be negatively affected by a parent who has a SUD.

SUD is a significant societal issue that has been the focus of much research and study

(Calhoun et al., 2015). Research and studies look at everything from causes to treatment options

to populations affected. Concerning the people involved, a growing focus has been on children of

parents with SUD(Calhoun et al., 2015).

Not only does the parent with a SUD pose a threat to themselves and their health, they

have the potential to bring harm to their child. For instance, children of parents who have an

SUD face the possibility of neglect and abuse (both physical and verbal) (Calhoun et al., 2015).

Abuse and neglect can be a result of poor parenting methods, which is evident in parents who

have SUD (Calhoun et al., 2015).

These harmful parenting methods consist of spanking or threatening their child as a form

of discipline for the child's actions (Calhoun et al., 2015). Neglect of a child whose parent has a

SUD can include not receiving basic needs, such as food, water, or clothing (Calhoun et al.,

2015). In addition, some of these children become exposed to the drugs themselves or an

unsanitary environment in which the drug is either consumed, made, or distributed. In particular,

children whose residence consists of a laboratory for making substances, such as

methamphetamine, are at risk for ingesting foods that have been exposed to chemicals (in the

making of the drug) (Calhoun et al., 2015).

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A parent who has a SUD when their child is born or develops one shortly after are at risk

for developing a dysfunctional relationship with their child (Lander et al., 2013). After a child is

born, they learn to communicate and respond to the environment around them based on the

relationship they form with their caregiver (Lander et al., 2013). A caregiver who has a SUD

may provide an inadequate level of attention to their child (Lander et al., 2013).

Lack of affection may lead the child to develop an insecure attachment to their caregiver,

which can cause issues later in life, such as anxiety or depression (Lander et al., 2013). The

caregiver may be preoccupied with consuming a substance(s) or trying to recover from the

substance(s) effects (Lander et al., 2013). Based on the attachment theory, children's ability to

form healthy attachments to other adults or their own kids is affected by the level of attachment

they receive in their childhood (Lander et al., 2013).

Children who have a parent with an SUD can experience a change in roles that may be

unique to other children's roles whose parents do not have an SUD. For instance, they may find

themselves taking on inappropriate duties at such a young age (Lander et al., 2013). Their

parent(s) may not be able to perform these tasks if they are under the influence of a substance(s).

Parents with a SUD are up to three times more likely to abuse their child, either

physically or sexually (Lander et al., 2013). Abuse does not only impact the child in the moment

but potentially the future as well. These problems include increased conduct behaviors,

consisting of anger and aggression. (Lander et al., 2013).

By the time the children of parents with SUD reach young adulthood, the development of

mood disorders such as anxiety and depression (as mentioned above) doubles when compared to

their peers (Solis et al., 2012). Furthermore, if both parents have alcohol use disorder, the child is
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at a greater risk for developing a lack of social competence and an increase in problem behavior

(Solis et al., 2012).

It is not uncommon for the relationship between the parent and child to get to a point of

separation. The parent may face incarceration, or the child will go to foster care or a residential

program by child protective services (Lander et al., 2013). In this case, the child may be at an

increased risk of developing trauma and having adverse outcomes socially and emotionally

(Lander et al., 2013). In some cases, the child may even go on to struggle with substance abuse

as well (Lander et al., 2013).

The percentage of children who go on to develop a SUD, either with alcohol or drugs, is

53% compared to their peers, which is 25% (Solis et al., 2012). Both genetics and environmental

factors can impact a child's development of a SUD, as estimates for heritability are between

50%-60% (Solis et al., 2012). Children of parents with SUD become involved with substance use

quicker than peers, specifically alcohol (Solis et al., 2012). 25% of children of alcoholics will

If the children and the parent are separated, it is typically because the parent is unable to care for

the child properly or has or is actively harming them. Professionals, such as protective services

and the law, are involved in this case (Neger & Prinz, 2015). In times like this, parents are more

likely to disobey legal orders, which can cause them to lose custody of the child altogether

(Neger & Prinz, 2015). In the U.S., parents with SUD are twice as likely to lose custody of their

child compared to parents who do not have SUD (Neger & Prinz, 2015).

show signs of an alcohol use disorder within four years of initial use (Solis et al., 2012).

The fear of losing custody of their child is one of the reasons that they do not seek

treatment for their SUD (Neger & Prinz, 2015). Furthermore, parents may shy away from getting

help because they fear prosecution (Neger & Prinz, 2015). When a child becomes separated from
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their parent in a situation such as this, child services are strongly urged to find a permanent place

for the child to reside (Neger & Prinz, 2015).

A variety of interventions exist to decrease the effects that not only children but parents

as well experience. For instance, one skill-based intervention, the "Strengthening Families

Program," has been used in studies and proved effective (Renk et al., 2015). This intervention

consists of parents using methods such as praise, problem-solving, clear communication of

expectations, talking over family violence and abuse, and so on (Renk et al., 2015).

This intervention consists of a group or individual setting, and families at higher risk can

participate in 14 weekly sessions. In contrast, families who are at lower risk can partake in 7

weekly sessions (Renk et al., 2015). This program was successful for over 1,600 families, and

research proposes that this form of intervention can grow positive parenting acts and decrease the

amount of substance use, poor ways of punishment, and issues with behaviors in children (Renk

et al., 2015).

The intervention of home visiting is helpful for substance-abusing parents who have a

younger child (Renk et al., 2015). This intervention aims to aid in maternal support, encourage

parenting child growth, and utilize resources (Renk et al., 2015). Pregnant mothers are visited

before and after giving birth until their child is 18 months of age (Renk et al., 2015). Within the

study that tested home visiting, 30 mothers within the intervention group were less likely to

consume substances and more emotionally receptive (Renk et al., 2015).

When a child becomes exposed to a parent(s) who abuse a substance(s), they are prone to

adverse changes in their behavior and emotions. Unfortunately, these changes can impact one's

ability to cope with stressors, appropriately interact with others, and perform everyday tasks

successfully. While there are many effective treatment options available, some parents are
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resistant to changing their behaviors and receiving the help they need. Often, this can lead to

undesirable outcomes such as losing custody of their child.

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References

Calhoun, S., Conner, E., Miller, M., & Messina, N. (2015). Improving the outcomes of children

affected by parental substance abuse: a review of randomized controlled trials. Substance

Abuse and Rehabilitation, 15. https://doi.org/10.2147/sar.s46439

Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of Substance Use Disorders on families

and children: From theory to practice. Social work in public health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725219/

Solis, J. M., Shadur, J. M., Burns, A. R., & Hussong, A. M. (2012, June). Understanding the

diverse needs of children whose parents abuse substances. Current drug abuse reviews.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3676900/

Neger, E., & Prinz, R. J. (2015). Interventions to address parenting and parental substance abuse:

Conceptual and methodological considerations. Clinical Psychology Review, 39, 71–82.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.04.004

Renk, K., Boris, N. W., Kolomeyer, E., Lowell, A., Puff, J., Cunningham, A., Khan, M. R., &

McSwiggan, M. (2015b). The state of evidence-based parenting interventions for parents

who are substance-involved. Pediatric Research, 79(1–2), 177–183.

https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2015.201