Resilient Children of Injection Drug Users

• NCJ Number: 207617
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 43 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2004 Pages: 1372-1379
• Author(s): Daniel J. Pilowsky M.D.; Patricia A. Zybert M.P.H; David Vlahov Ph.D.
• Editor(s): Mina K. Dulcan M.D.
• Date Published: November 2004
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH01456; DA04334
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the associations between resilience in children of injection drug users and children’s coping strategies, parenting stress, and children’s social support.

Abstract

Research has shown that children of substance-abusing parents are at high risk of multiple problems including depression, disruptive behavior disorders, and low self-esteem. However, research has also shown that despite adverse conditions, many children of drug-using parents continue to live with their parents with some having favorable outcomes. This resilience is defined as a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity. This study compared and contrasted coping strategies used by resilient and nonresilient children, the extent and type of social support these children received, and the level of parenting stress reported by their parents. The study consisted of 91 parents who were injection drug users and their 117 eligible children. Parents and their children were interviewed with an extensive battery including assessments of children’s symptoms, their psychopathology, coping strategies, and social support, and of parent’s depression, substance abuse, and parenting stress. The findings document the adversity faced by the children in the study and support the definition of resilience. Significant findings of the study included: (1) resilient children were less likely to use internalizing and externalizing avoidance coping strategies; (2) parents of resilient children were significantly less likely to experience parenting stress, and there was a trend toward lower “difficult child” scores in the resilient group; and (3) perceived social support, as reported by parents, was greater among resilient children than among nonresilient peers. Study limitations are presented and discussed. References