Children
of Alcoholic and/or Substance Abusing Parents
Highlights
Based
on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2002 and 2003, an
annual average of 18 million women aged 18 or older lived with a biological,
foster, step, or adoptive child aged 12 to 17. About 11.9% of mothers
(2.1 million) living with youths aged 12 to 17 had serious mental illness
during the past year. About 3.2% of the mothers had both a serious mental
illness and also reported illicit drug use, binge alcohol use, or heavy
alcohol use during the past month. Youths
living with a mother who had serious mental illness (SMI) were more likely
to have used alcohol or an illicit drug during the past month (26.7%)
than youths living with a mother who did not have SMI (18.8%). See The
NSDUH Report: Mother's Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use
among Youths
About
680,000 youths (2.7%) aged 12 to 17 in the U.S. have ever been in foster
care. Based on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, youths
who have ever been in foster care had higher rates of any illicit
drug use than youths who have never been in foster care (33.6%
vs. 21.7%). Youths
aged 12 to 17 who were in need of substance abuse treatment in the past
year were more likely to have received treatment if they had ever been
in foster care. See The
NSDUH Report: Substance Use and Need for Treatment Among Youths
Who Have Been in Foster Care
Based
on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2002 almost 5 million adults
were alcohol dependent or alcohol abusing and had at least one child younger than
age 18 living in their home. Parents with past year alcohol dependence or abuse
were more likely to report household turbulence than parents who were not alcohol
dependent or alcohol abusing. Household turbulence included people in their household
having serious arguments and often insulting or yelling at each other. See
The NSDUH Report: Alcohol Dependence or Abuse Among Parents with Children
Living in the Home.
Based
on SAMHSA's National Household Survey, in 2001 more than 6 million children
lived with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit
drug during the past year. This involved about 10 percent of children aged
5 or younger, 8 percent of children aged 6 to 11, and 9 percent of youths aged
12 to 17. See The
NHSDA Report: Children Living with Substance Abusing or Substance Dependent
Parents.
Parental
Influences on Adolescent Marijuana Use and the Baby Boom Generation
examined
family intactness, parental problems, as well as parental drug use & attitudes
and the association with their children's drug use. Children's characteristics
including dropping out of school, emotional problems, etc. were also examined.
Children at Risk Because of Parental Substance Abuse -
estimated the number and percent of infants and children age 17 and younger living
with parents who used illegal drugs, cigarettes, or cigarettes, were dependent
on drugs or alcohol, or who needed substance abuse treatment. |