Children Affected by Substance Abuse
About 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) ages 17 or younger lived in households with at least one parent who had a past year substance abuse disorder (SUD), according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SUD’s are characterized by recurrent use of alcohol or drugs (or both) that results in significant impairment.
In addition, the report shows that about 1 in 10 children (7.5 million) lived in households with at least one parent who had a past year alcohol use disorder and about 1 in 35 children (2.1) million lived in households with at least one parent who had an illicit drug use disorder in the past year.
“Substance use disorders can have a profound influence on the lives of people and their families, particularly the children,” said Dr. Kim Johnson, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse and Treatment, “The data in this report highlights the potential breadth of substance use prevention and treatment needs for the whole family.”
The National Survey on Drug use and Health (NSDUH) Report: Children Living with Parents Who Have a Substance Use Disorder is based on combined data from the 2009 and 2014 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The report is available at : National Surveys On Drug Use and Health
Many resources are available to help children when a parent uses substances or has an SUD. SAMHSA provides information and resources for professionals who work with with these families at: Professional Resources.
For additional SAMHSA resources, visit: SAMSHA Treatment.
A new study from researchers at the Yale School of Medicine has opened a window into the effect of the opioid epidemic on this segment of the population. Their analysis of CDC mortality data,(jamanetwork.com) published Dec. 28 in JAMA Network Open, found that the use of prescription and illicit opioids caused the deaths of almost 9,000 children and adolescents in the United States between 1999 and 2016. During the same time, the pediatric mortality rate from opioid poisoning increased more than twofold. In the last 3 years of the study synthetic opioid deaths in the pediatric population increased more than 2925.0%
Children who live in homes where substance abuse is present are often witnesses not only to the behaviors associated with using substances but have also found their caregivers unconscious or in some cases deceased. While many of these children will not experience abuse or neglect, they are at increased risk for maltreatment and entering the child welfare system.
Due to the rising number of drug related deaths involving parents and caregivers a large volume of children are entering into the care of family members and many state foster care programs are becoming overloaded.
The risk of abuse and neglect of children in the foster care system remains significantly higher than those who are in the care of family members. Up to 80% of children in foster care have reported neglect or abuse by either their caregivers or other children in the home.
Children and youth of parents who use or abuse substances and have parenting difficulties have an increased chance of experiencing a variety of negative outcomes including:
- Poor cognitive, social, and emotional development
- Depression, anxiety, and other trauma and mental
health symptoms - Physical and health issues
- Substance use problems
Parental substance use can affect the well-being of children and youth in complex ways. For example, an infant who receives inconsistent care and nurturing from a parent engaged in addiction-related behaviors may suffer from attachment difficulties that can then interfere with the growing child’s emotional development. Adolescent children of parents with substance use disorders, particularly those who have experienced child maltreatment and foster care, may turn to substances themselves as a coping mechanism. In addition, children of parents with substance use issues are more likely to experience trauma and its effects, which include difficulties with concentration and learning, controlling physical and emotional responses to stress, and forming trusting relationships.
PARENTING
The way parents with substance use disorders behave and interact with their children can have a multifaceted impact on the children. The effects can be both indirect through a chaotic living environment and direct physical or sexual abuse. Parental substance use can affect parenting, prenatal development, and early childhood and adolescent development. It is important to recognize, however, that not all children of parents with substance use issues will suffer abuse, neglect, or other negative outcomes.
A parent’s substance use disorder may affect his or her ability to function effectively in a parental role. Ineffective or inconsistent parenting can be due to the following:
- Physical or mental impairments caused by alcohol or
other drugs - Reduced capacity to respond to a child’s cues and
needs - Difficulties regulating emotions and controlling anger
and impulsivity - Disruptions in healthy parent-child attachment
- Spending limited funds on alcohol and drugs rather
than food or other household needs - Spending time seeking out, manufacturing, or using
alcohol or other drugs - Incarceration, which can result in inadequate or
inappropriate supervision for children - Estrangement from family and other social supports
Family life for children with one or both parents that abuse drugs or alcohol often can be chaotic and unpredictable. Children’s basic needs—including nutrition, supervision, and nurturing—may go unmet, which can result in neglect. These families often experience a number of other problems—such as mental illness, domestic violence, unemployment, and housing instability—that also affect parenting and contribute to high levels of stress (National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center [AIA], 2012). A parent with a substance abuse disorder may be unable to regulate stress and other emotions, which can lead to impulsive and reactive behavior that may escalate to physical abuse.
Different substances may have different effects on parenting and safety. For example, the threats to a child of a parent who becomes sedated and inattentive after drinking excessively differ from the threats posed by a parent who exhibits aggressive behavior.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/parentalsubabuse.cfm
Parental Substance Use and the Child Welfare System https://www.childwelfare.gov