The living arrangement may differentially influence IDU parents' motivation to reduce HIV risk as a function of gender

Abstract

Studies that examine data from drug-abusing parents typically investigate the impact of parental behavior on their children's well-being and focus almost exclusively on the impact of mothers. Other approaches have examined the level of parental involvement among parents in drug treatment and find that a higher level of parental involvement is related to lower levels of addiction severity. Recent research examines the specific role of fathers and suggests that the promotion of responsible parenting may serve as a positive motivational influence among fathers participating in drug treatment. The present study investigated the influence of the living arrangement on improvements in HIV-risk reduction variables among 151 IDU parents who participated in the Community-friendly Health Recovery Program intervention. A gender×living arrangement interaction demonstrated greater enhancements in social and personal motivation to reduce HIV risk among fathers currently living with their children vs. fathers not living with their children while the opposite pattern of outcomes was demonstrated for mothers. Findings indicate that a parenting role that includes living with children may differentially influence parents' HIV-risk reduction motivation as a function of gender.

Correlates of Injection Drug Use Among Rural Appalachian Women

“…At the bivariate level, other relational factors emerged in that recent injectors were more likely to report drug use by others in the home and having more family members with “drug problems.” In addition, recent injectors reported having more children, more involvement with Child Protective Services, and were more likely to have lost custody of their children. This is consistent with other research which has reported that living with children may be protective for IDU . This also may be consistent with the notion that women who want to continue using, and perhaps continue injection practices, may be more likely to have children living with other family members—contributing to the increasing rate of grandparents raising their grandchildren in rural Appalachian communities…”

“…This is consistent with other research which has reported that living with children may be protective for IDU. 44 This also may be consistent with the notion that women who want to continue using, and perhaps continue injection practices, may be more likely to have children living with other family members-contributing to the increasing rate of grandparents raising their grandchildren in rural Appalachian communities. 45 Recent injectors also reported more mental health issues and earlier victimization experiences.…”

Methamphetamine-Using Parents: The Relationship Between Parental Role Strain and Depressive Symptoms

“…Other studies have reported that about half of drug-using parents (46%-53%) did not live with their children (Copenhaver et al 2010;Gilchrist and Taylor, 2009;Meier et al, 2004). Drug-using parents who have access to drug treatment and mental health services as well as programs to develop parenting skills and family support may have greater opportu-nity to regain or retain custody of their children.…”

“…In one study of mothers with substance use disorders, those who participated in programs that offered high levels of family-related and employment services were almost twice as likely to be reunited with their children as mothers who received low levels of these services in their treatment program (Grella et al, 2009). Copenhaver et al (2010) reported that, among intravenous drug-using fathers who participated in a treatment program, those who lived with their children demonstrated greater motivations to reduce their HIV risk behavior compared with fathers who were not living with their children. Another study reported that drug-using parents who lived with their children used drugs less frequently and had more favorable social circumstances (e.g., more stable housing) compared with their counterparts who did not live with their children (Meier et al, 2004).…”