A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan has found that nearly one in four American children live with an adult who struggles with substance use. The study, which analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, revealed that 19 million children under age 18 live with a parent or other adult who meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
Key Findings
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Substances Misused:
- The most commonly misused substances among parents surveyed were alcohol and cannabis.
- An estimated 12 million parents meet criteria for some level of alcohol use disorder.
- Approximately 6 million parents meet criteria for cannabis use disorder.
- About 3.4 million parents met criteria for disordered use of multiple substances.
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Consequences for Children:
- Dr. Sean Esteban McCabe, lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing these issues early to prevent long-term problems in children’s lives. He stated:
"We know that when we don’t address these issues early on, children are more likely to experience adverse childhood experiences, use alcohol and drugs earlier and more frequently, and be diagnosed later in life with mental health conditions."
- Dr. Sean Esteban McCabe, lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing these issues early to prevent long-term problems in children’s lives. He stated:
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Demographic Consistency:
- The researchers found that their results were consistent across different demographic groups within each state, indicating a widespread issue affecting families nationwide. This suggests that addressing parental substance misuse will require a comprehensive approach involving multiple stakeholders at both state and national levels.
Support Services for Affected Families
The study highlights the importance of providing support services to families affected by parental substance misuse. Potential support options include:
- Counseling services
- Parenting classes
- Other forms of support to help parents manage their addiction while caring for their children’s needs
Additional Insights
In addition to its findings on parental substance misuse rates among American youth under age 18, the analysis also examined how many young people lived in households where an adult had used illicit drugs during pregnancy. However, it did not assess whether those drug exposures occurred before conception or during pregnancy itself due to limitations in the NSDUH data sources.
It is important to note that this analysis focused only on adults aged 18-64 years who lived with someone under age 18. It did not consider older adults living alone without any minor dependents or cases where there may have been additional household members beyond those listed.
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