Parental opioid use disorder: Examining their children's experiences, needs, and road to resilience
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Problem: Over eight million children in the U.S. live with a parent with substance use disorder (SUD), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD), an adverse childhood experience (ACE), that often leads to poor outcomes such as developing SUD or mental illness. Often the focus of research and interventions is on the parent and not their children. Without emphasis on the children's experiences, their specific needs, and building interventions toward developing resilience, the intergenerational cycle of SUD/OUD will persist. Methods: Nine children (ages 12-17), in the custody of Social Services, who experienced a parent with OUD, participated in this pilot study. The intervention was SAMHSA’s Children’s Program Kit: Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents. Thematic analysis of, verbal responses/behaviors, observations, field notes, and any retained materials (i.e. artwork, handouts) was conducted over eight sessions. Findings: Findings included three themes: Meaning of a parent; The others; and Witnessing the cycle. Participants depicted like scenarios within each theme and shared similar experiences. Conclusions: Results support mental health nurses as forerunners in building, implementing, and evaluating child-focused interventions for children of parents with OUD. Interventions should focus on the needs of the children and use a strength-based approach to promote their resilience.
Problem: Over eight million children in the U.S. live with a parent with substance use disorder (SUD), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD), an adverse childhood experience (ACE), that often leads to poor outcomes such as developing SUD or mental illness. Often the focus of research and interventions is on the parent and not their children. Without emphasis on the children's experiences, their specific needs, and building interventions toward developing resilience, the intergenerational cycle of SUD/OUD will persist. Methods: Nine children (ages 12-17), in the custody of Social Services, who experienced a parent with OUD, participated in this pilot study. The intervention was SAMHSA’s Children’s Program Kit: Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents. Thematic analysis of, verbal responses/behaviors, observations, field notes, and any retained materials (i.e. artwork, handouts) was conducted over eight sessions. Findings: Findings included three themes: Meaning of a parent; The others; and Witnessing the cycle. Participants depicted like scenarios within each theme and shared similar experiences. Conclusions: Results support mental health nurses as forerunners in building, implementing, and evaluating child-focused interventions for children of parents with OUD. Interventions should focus on the needs of the children and use a strength-based approach to promote their resilience.
