PRESS RELEASE
New study estimates that millions of children live with parents who have a substance use disorder
SAN MARCOS – A new study led by Ty S. Schepis, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychology and Faculty Fellow at the Translational Health Research Center at Texas State University, reveals that an estimated nearly 17 million children and adolescents in the U.S. now live with a parent who has a substance use disorder.
The study, titled “US Youth Exposed to Parental Substance Use Disorder in the Home: A Comparison of DSM-IV and DSM-5 Criteria,” found that alcohol use disorder is the leading contributor, affecting 12.8 million children. Cannabis use disorder is the second most prevalent, impacting 5 million children, while prescription opioid use disorder affects over 1 million children. Parents with opioid use disorders also face higher risks of overdose, adding to the challenges these families face.
The findings are published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
“The increase in number of children who live with a parent with a substance use disorder was a great surprise, but it is likely to reflect the change in how substance use disorder is diagnosed. Nonetheless, it highlights the massive scale of services that these parents and children will need to be successful,” said Schepis. “These children are at high risk for not just substance use issues of their own, but also mental health challenges, and interactions with the legal and child welfare systems.”
This marks an 81% increase from earlier estimates using data from 2009 to 2014, largely due to updated diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The transition from the fourth edition (DSM-IV) to the fifth edition (DSM-5) introduced revised definitions and criteria for certain conditions, leading to improved identification and more inclusive diagnostic guidelines.
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Vital Strategies, the study offers insight into the significant number of children and adolescents potentially exposed to heavy substance use in the home. These findings emphasize the importance of reaching this population through targeted interventions to improve their health and well-being.
For more information, contact Cittlaly Escatel with the Translational Health Research Center at zzo2@txstate.edu.
Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01DA043691 and R01DA031160. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
