August is Overdose Awareness Month. In 2021, 107,622 overdose deaths occurred in the United States (Penington Institute, 2024), with the most common age range being 35-44 years old (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).

More than eight million children have at least one parent struggling with a substance use disorder. Substance use has overtaken many areas and many families, and the lifelong impact of coping with the loss of a parent or the addiction of a family member can significantly impact children. Many of the youth receiving behavioral health services have had some exposure to parental substance use. These young people often struggle with issues related to their relationship with their parents, have difficulty focusing, and experience increased anxiety. Serious consequences can result, including interference with school, friends, daily activities, mood, behavior, or even thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Providing support to young people is most effectively done collaboratively, and should ideally include other family members, peers, families of peers, coaches, therapists, doctors, and others who play an important role in the child’s daily life.

Parental substance use effects

Depending on the child’s age and the amount of exposure they have experienced, the protective factors presented by the parental figure can change the outcomes experienced by the youth (Youth.gov, 2024).

Common effects that children and adolescents might experience are emotional and mental health problems, difficulties in dealing with emotions, silence, difficulty with trust, the stigma of parental substance use, development of their own addictions, early sexual relationships, relationship difficulties in life, poor academic achievement, conduct, and behavioral concerns (Velleman et al., 2018).

Other warning signs to note include instances of youth taking on a caregiver role in the family system, high levels of stress and anxiety, increased tardiness or increased absences from events or school, and being unkept or malnourished.

What can you do?

As a parent struggling with substance use, consider seeking support and recovery. Working through recovery helps build a healthy parent-child relationship by learning new skills to care effectively for yourself and how to help connect with your child/ren by developing healthy parenting roles and rebuilding trust. If a child experiences parental loss, seeking therapy services for them and other surviving family members can foster an environment needed to cope effectively and build safe connections.

As a provider, encourage engagement in family therapy. Providing education about addiction while providing a safe space for the family to grow, learn, and connect can support healthy bonds between the parent and child and provide a nurturing place for the family to go when in need of support.

Offering support by walking with and listening to the youth can create a validating environment where they do not feel as if their feelings are being discounted and can help them understand their beliefs around substance use. A helpful approach can be using the Seven C’s (Forum, 2023):

1. I did not cause it.
2. I cannot control it.
3. I can’t cure it,
4. but I can help care for myself
5. by communicating my feelings,
6. making healthy choices,
7. and celebrating me

(Developed by the Hazelden Betty Ford Center)

Engaging in fun activities can give the young person the space to be a kid. In addition, this engagement models healthy behaviors and relationships. Getting children involved in group activities like band, Scouts, and sports can allow them a safe place to express themselves and see how other people live while connecting with different supports.

Resources that can provide educational understanding and support are:

• Toolkit: Helping Children Impacted by Parental Substance Use Disorder www.addictionpolicy.org
• Parental Addiction - Sesame Workshop https://youth.gov/youth-topics/risk-and-protective-factors

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 21). Products - data briefs - number 457 - december 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
• Forum, A. P. (2023, February 20). Toolkit: Helping children impacted by parental substance use disorder. Addiction Policy Forum. https://www.addictionpolicy.org/post/helping-children-impacted-by-parental-substance-use-disorder
• Penington Institute. (2024, May 22). Facts & stats. International Overdose Awareness Day. https://www.overdoseday.com/facts-stats/
• Velleman R, Templeton LJ. Impact of parents’ substance misuse on children: an update. BJPsych Advances. 2016;22(2):108-117. doi:10.1192/apt.bp.114.014449
• Youth.gov. (2024) Risk and protective factors. Risk and Protective Factors https://youth.gov/youth-topics/risk-and-protective-factors