Parenting through the eyes of mothers with substance use disorder : Implications for treatment and related services

Abstract

Background: Maternal substance use can negatively impact parenting. However, most research on this topic come from epidemiological studies. Thus, the purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore how mothers receiving substance misuse treatment feel their substance use disorder (SUD) has influenced their experiences of motherhood and parenting while also exploring their perception of how their children may have been impacted by their SUD Methods: 35 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with mothers receiving substance use treatment were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Battle between recovery and motherhood, 2) Challenges being fully present as a parent, 3) Parenting within government and legal systems, and 4) Impacts on children. Mothers mostly reported that their SUD did negatively impact their children in numerous ways. However, their SUD was also reported to be a barrier to parenting that brought unique challenges. Conclusion: Parenting and SUD are interrelated and can influence one another. To best serve mothers with SUD and their children this interconnectedness must be considered.