A window of opportunity for children growing up with parental substance-use problems

Selbekk, Anne Schanche

doi:10.1177/1455072519847013

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…When social welfare and healthcare professionals are in contact with young people, it is important that they not only consider PPSU, but also the interplay with family environment, dysfunction and relations and how this affects the well-being of the young individuals. In the same way, it is important to be in dialogue with parents who enter alcohol and drug treatment about how children are affected by PPSU ( Selbekk, 2019 ). The evaluation of tools to support this dialogue could be an interesting subject for future research, not only to facilitate the discussion with the children involved and other family members, but also to focus on the impact of the substance use problems on the family.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematic parental substance use, childhood family structures and adverse outcomes in young adulthood

Frederiksen,

Hesse,

Pedersen

2023

Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

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Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between childhood family structures, including the presence or absence of problematic parental substance use (PPSU), and adverse outcomes during adolescence/young adulthood. Methods: The study population included 9,770 young people (aged 15–25 years) from samples drawn for two national surveys in Denmark during 2014–2015. By combining surveys with national register data, five types of childhood family structures were constructed based on whether the child experienced PPSU and/or family separation and the number of years the child lived with a parent with substance use problems. Using binary logistic regression models, the relationships between family structure and adverse outcomes in young adulthood (i.e., hospital admissions, mental disorders and criminality) were investigated. Results: Young people who experienced PPSU and did not live with both parents had higher odds of the different long-term adverse outcomes compared with young people who did not experience PPSU, and similar odds of the outcomes compared to youth who had not experienced PPSU and did not live with both parents. The highest odds of adverse outcomes were found among young people who experienced PPSU and lived with the parent with substance use problems for less than five years. Conclusions: Living with both parents protected against adverse outcomes in young adulthood, and if PPSU was present, the odds of adverse outcomes increased. The hypothesis that there would be a positive association between years living with a parent with substance use problems and adverse outcomes in young adulthood was not supported. Awareness should be raised in health service, educational and legal institutions about the risk for young people from families with PPSU who do not live with both parents.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematic parental substance use, childhood family structures and adverse outcomes in young adulthood

Frederiksen,

Hesse,

Pedersen

2023

Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

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“…PSU is acknowledged as a serious problem for the individual family member who is using substances. Still, as Selbekk (2019) points out, it is a thoughtprovoking paradox that disclosure of substance use problems does not directly imply disclosure of its harmful effects on close others. However, an individual's drug challenges have significant and harmful effects on close others, such as family members, who report severe and far-reaching consequences, including uncertainty, worries, stress, and difficult family life (Orford et al, 2010;Orr et al, 2014;Ray et al, 2007;Rodriguez et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An unknown invisible intrusion. Impact of an adult family member’s problematic substance use on family life: a meta-ethnography

Lindeman

Titlestad

Lorås

et al. 2021

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy

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Problematic substance use (PSU) has documented consequences for the person using substances and people close to that person. This meta-ethnography aims to provide insight into how families experience family life when adult family members PSU is present. The titles and abstracts of 24,423 retrieved studies were assessed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fifteen qualitative primary articles, including 393 different family members experiences, were included. The included articles described families from different countries with various socioeconomic status. An unknown invisible intrusion was established as the overarching metaphor. This metaphor was accompanied by three main themes: Taking over the family life, Family survival, and An invisible family. The theme Taking over the family life reflects how PSU affected the family structures and how overwhelming the families experienced these problems. The theme Family survival reflects how family members tried to adapt to life with PSU, while An invisible family reflects how families experienced loneliness and lack of help. We suggest that professionals should move from a one-sided focus on PSU to understanding the consequences as a longlasting intrusion into family life. This includes both disciplinary development and interventions that enhance family relational practices.

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“…Thus, looking into research from countries outside of the United States might provide more program ideas, unique strategies, and creative thinking to help children of substance abuse caregivers. Research by Anne Schanche Selbekk (2019), published a research article titled, "A Window of Opportunity for Children Growing up with Parental Substance-Use Problems," that examines a new Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian law to institute early intervention in families with a newborn baby. In 2010, these governments all required health professionals to register children in the patient's health record and assess the needs of these children and their families, including asking questions about all parent illnesses and addiction with alcohol and other drugs.…”

Section: Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Findings of the article published by Selbekk (2019) provide a unique look into intervention strategies that may not seem like a direct correlation to children's health living in substance homes but encourage success rates in families with substance use. The data suggests that intervening in homes as early as birth in the hospital could impact the future positive outlook of the families by providing encouragement to halt the substance use and boost support for their young person.…”

Section: Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance Abuse Homes, Systems of Care, and Coping Development - The Youth Experience

Sabrina Maryanne

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The current paper investigates the development of minor's coping mechanisms living in substance abuse homes in connection to their access to systems of care. Specifically, the research explores what coping strategies children use to survive having guardians who are substance abuse users, as well as identifies what systems of care provided opportunities to develop coping skills in these environments. By conducting dyadic hour-long interviews with 5 self-identified adults that grew up in substance abuse households, a qualitative analysis of recurrent themes surrounding coping, mental health, and systems of care was established. The results highlighted an emphasis on coping through 'escapism' that developed in childhood and persisted into adulthood. The perseverance of the escapism coping style was dependent on if the child had access to systems of care that modeled emotion regulation and allowed for self-exploration in a safe space. The higher the investment in systems of care in childhood, the less dependent on escapism in adulthood. The implications for future social work feature a need for funding to be funneled into educational programs that train staff working in systems of care to appropriately model coping and emotion processing skills for children living with trauma.

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A window of opportunity for children growing up with parental substance-use problems

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Problematic parental substance use, childhood family structures and adverse outcomes in young adulthood

Problematic parental substance use, childhood family structures and adverse outcomes in young adulthood

An unknown invisible intrusion. Impact of an adult family member’s problematic substance use on family life: a meta-ethnography

Substance Abuse Homes, Systems of Care, and Coping Development - The Youth Experience

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