Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mental Health Services for Children of Substance Abusing Parents: Voices from the Community

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bancroft, A., Wilson, S., Cunningham-Burley, S., Backett-Milburn, K., & Masters, H. (2004). Parental drug and alcohol misuse: Resilience and transition among young people. York, North Yorkshire: Joseph Roundtree Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Dror, R. (1994). Employee turnover in community mental health organization: A developmental stages study. Community Mental Health Journal, 30(3), 243–257.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, H. R. (2000). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birmaher, B., Brent, D. A., Kolko, D., Baugher, M., Bridge, J., Holder, D., et al. (2000). Clinical outcome after short-term psychotherapy for adolescents with major depressive disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(1), 29–36.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, K. M., Libby, B., Sheehan, J., & Hyland, N. (2001). Motivational interviewing to enhance treatment initiation in substance abusers: An effectiveness study. American Journal on Addictions, 10(4), 335–339.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Gainey, R. R., Fleming, C. B., Haggerty, K. P., & Johnson, N. O. (1999). An experimental intervention with families of substance abusers: One-year follow-up of the focus on families project. Addiction, 94(2), 241–254.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D. B., Moss, H. B., Kirisci, L., Mezzich, A. C., Miles, R., & Ott, P. (1997). Psychopathology in preadolescent sons of fathers with substance use disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(4), 495–502.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper-Patrick, L., Brown, C., Palenchar, D., Gonzales, J., & Ford, D. (1995). Factors associated with help-seeking behavior for mental health services (Vol. 12). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copello, A. G., Velleman, R. D., & Templeton, L. J. (2005). Family interventions in the treatment of alcohol and drug problems. Drug and Alcohol Review, 24(4), 369–385.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Daley, D. C., & Zuckoff, A. (1999). Improving treatment compliance: Counseling and systems strategies for substance abuse and dual disorders. Center City, MN: Hazelden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, C. (2008). Children’s and young people’s involvement and participation in mental health care. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13(1), 2–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, C., Carey, M., & Surgenor, T. (2006). Children’s key concerns: Piloting a qualitative approach to understanding their experience of mental health care. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 11(1), 139–155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dierker, L. C., Merikangas, K. R., & Szatmari, P. (1999). Influence of parental concordance for psychiatric disorders on psychopathology in offspring. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(3), 280–288.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, B. L., Sparks, J. A., Murphy, J. J., & Miller, S. D. (2007). Just say “no” to drugs as a first treatment for child problems. Psychotherapy in Australia, 13, 32–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fals-Stewart, W., Fincham, F. D., & Kelley, M. L. (2004). Substance-abusing parents’ attitudes toward allowing their custodial children to participate in treatment: A comparison of mothers versus fathers. Journal of Family Psychology, 18(4), 666–671.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gallon, S. L., Gabriel, R. M., & Knudsen, J. R. (2003). The toughest job you’ll ever love: A pacific northwest treatment workforce survey. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 24(3), 183–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gance-Cleveland, B. (2004). Qualitative evaluation of a school-based support group for adolescents with an addicted parent. Nursing Research, 53(6), 379–386.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, IL: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, J. M. (2005). Access to mental health services: The struggle of poverty affected urban children of color. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22(3), 245–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregg, M. E., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2003). Sibling peer support group for young people with a sibling using drugs: A pilot study. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 35(3), 311–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., Bissett, R., Roget, N., Padilla, M., Kohlenberg, B. S., Fisher, G., et al. (2004). The impact of acceptance and commitment training and multicultural training on the stigmatizing attitudes and professional burnout of substance abuse counselors. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 821.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, S. Y., & Muka, D. (1996). Childhood psychopathology in children from families of alcoholic female probands. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(6), 725–733.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine Committee on Crossing the Quality Chasm. (2006). Chapter 5. Coordinating care for better mental, substance-use, and general health. In Improving the quality of health care for mental and substance-use conditions (p. 504). Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

  • Kazdin, A. E. (2003). Psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 253–276.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, M. L., & Fals-Stewart, W. (2002). Couples- versus individual-based therapy for alcohol and drug abuse: Effects on children’s psychosocial functioning. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(2), 417–427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koelch, M., Schnoor, K., & Fegert, J. M. (2008). Ethical issues in psychopharmacology of children and adolescents. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 21(6), 598–605.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kroll, B. (2004). Living with an elephant: Growing up with parental substance misuse. Child and Family Social Work, 9(2), 129–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavack, A. (2007). Using social marketing to de-stigmatize addictions: A review. Addiction Research and Theory, 15(5), 479–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leaf, P. J., Bruce, M. L., Tischler, G. L., & Holzer, C. E., 3rd. (1987). The relationship between demographic factors and attitudes toward mental health services. Journal of Community Psychology, 15(2), 275–284.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luoma, J. B., Kohlenberg, B. S., Hayes, S. C., Bunting, K., & Rye, A. K. (2008). Reducing self-stigma in substance abuse through acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, manual development, and pilot outcomes. Addiction Research and Theory, 16(2), 149–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacQueen, K., McLellan, E., Kay, K., & Milstein, B. (1998). Codebook development for team-based qualitative analysis. Cultural Anthropology Methods, 10, 31–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J. L., Larson, R. W., & Eccles, J. (2005). Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKay, M. M., Hibbert, R., Hoagwood, K., Rodriguez, J., Murray, L., Legerski, J., et al. (2004). Integrating evidence-based engagement interventions into “real world” child mental health settings. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 4(2), 177–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay, M., McCadam, K., & Gonzales, J. J. (1996). Addressing the barriers to mental health services for inner city children and their caretakers. Community Mental Health Journal, 32(4), 353–361.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKeganey, N., Barnard, M., & McIntosh, J. (2002). Paying the price for their parents’ addiction: Meeting the needs of the children of drug-using parents. Drugs: Education Prevention and Policy, 9(3), 233–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meltzer, H., Bebbington, P., Brugha, T., Farrell, M., Jenkins, R., & Lewis, G. (2003). The reluctance to seek treatment for neurotic disorders. International Review of Psychiatry, 15(1–2), 123–128.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milstein, R. L., & Wetterhall, S. F. (1999). Framework for program evaluation in public health. Washington, DC: Center for Disease Control, Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pittsburgh Department of City Planning. (2000). Census: Pittsburgh. A comparative digest of census data for Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Department of City Planning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Regier, D. A., Narrow, W. E., Rae, D. S., Manderscheid, R. W., Locke, B. Z., & Goodwin, F. K. (1993). The de facto use mental and addictive disorders service system. Epidemiologic catchment area prospective 1-year prevalence rates of disorders and services. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50(2), 85–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, G., & Bernard, H. R. (2003). Techniques to identify themes. Field Methods, 15(1), 85–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuckit, M. A., & Smith, T. L. (1996). An 8-year follow-up of 450 sons of alcoholic and control subjects. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53(3), 202–210.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shulman, L. H., Shapira, S. R., & Hirshfield, S. (2000). Outreach developmental services to children of patients in treatment for substance abuse. American Journal of Public Health, 90(12), 1930–1933.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sirey, J. A., Bruce, M. L., Alexopoulos, G. S., Perlick, D. A., Friedman, S. J., & Meyers, B. S. (2001). Stigma as a barrier to recovery: Perceived stigma and patient-rated severity of illness as predictors of antidepressant drug adherence. Psychiatric Services, 52(12), 1615–1620.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks, J. A., & Duncan, B. L. (2008). Challenging automatic prescription: Listening to data, talking with families, honoring client preferences. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 19(1), 36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SquirrelHill.com. (2010). Pittsburgh neighborhoods: Uniform crime reports. Squirrel Hill: East End Community Retrieved 19 July 2010, from http://www.squirrelhill.com/crime/index.php.

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2004). Substance abuse treatment and family therapy (DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 05-4006). Rockville, MD: Government Printing Office.

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies. (1997). Preliminary results from the 1996 national household survey on drug abuse. Rockville, MD: Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szapocznik, J., Perez-Vidal, A., Brickman, A. L., Foote, F. H., Santisteban, D., Hervis, O., et al. (1988). Engaging adolescent drug abusers and their families in treatment: A strategic structural systems approach. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(4), 552–557.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, C. R., & Holzer, C. E., 3rd. (2006). The continuing shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(9), 1023–1031.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999). Mental health: A report of the surgeon general—executive summary. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health.

  • Vogel, D. L., Wade, N. G., & Hackler, A. H. (2007). Perceived public stigma and the willingness to seek counseling: The mediating roles of self-stigma and attitudes toward counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(1), 40–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M. E., Latta, J., & Conversano, P. (2008). Eliminating the wait for mental health services. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 35(1), 107–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Support for this study was provided by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration grant 5 T06 SM56563-03. We are indebted to Shari Hutchinson and Laura Greenberg for research assistance and assistance with the preparation of the manuscript; to Michael Travis and Cheryl Bailey Salary for their guidance, support and advice, and to the staff and consumers of the Hill Satellite Clinic for the encouragement and support of this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kaiser Permanente, 12501 E. Imperial Hwy, Suite 400, Norwalk, CA, 90650, USA

    Laila F. M. Contractor

  2. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Karen L. Celedonia, Mario Cruz & Antoine Douaihy

  3. One Chatham Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 112 Washington Place, Suite 700, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA

    Jane N. Kogan & Bradley D. Stein

  4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Robert Marin

Authors
  1. Laila F. M. Contractor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen L. Celedonia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mario Cruz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Antoine Douaihy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jane N. Kogan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert Marin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Bradley D. Stein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bradley D. Stein.

Additional information

This work was done while Dr. Contractor was a Child and Adolescent Fellow at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Contractor, L.F.M., Celedonia, K.L., Cruz, M. et al. Mental Health Services for Children of Substance Abusing Parents: Voices from the Community. Community Ment Health J 48, 22–28 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9357-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9357-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation