Parenting Competence and the Role of Children for Mothers Recovering from Substance Dependence

Purpose:  For mothers with substance use disorders, parenting remains an area imbued with importance, shame, fear, and hope.  Contemporary attachment theory suggests the importance of the caregiver- child dyad in assisting both infant or child and mother to regulate their emotional states and self-esteem (Schore, 2012).  Yet, parental substance dependence continues to be a primary impetus for child welfare involvement and termination of custody for mothers with addictions (Hong, Ryan, Hernandez, & Brown, 2013).  In spite of the central role that substance abuse plays in removal of children from mother’s custody, mothers with substance use disorders continue to identify their children, and relationships with children, as important in their recovery efforts (Brown, et al., 2014).  This study examined qualitative and quantitative data to elucidate the complex relationships between perceived parenting competence, relationships with children, substance abuse, and recovery for mothers with addictions.

Methods:  Data were gathered from a larger NIDA funded study on the social networks of mothers with substance dependence.  Eligibility criteria included having been in substance abuse treatment for one week following intake, having a diagnosis of drug and/or alcohol dependence, and being over the age of 18.  The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale was used to assess 158 mothers’ perceptions of their own parenting efficacy and satisfaction during early recovery.  The role of children in their personal networks was also examined using Egonet, an open-source software program used to assess personal network characteristics (McCarty, 2002).  A second, qualitative study utilized focus group methodology (Kruger & Casey, 2009) to examine changes in women’s personal networks, including the role of children in personal networks during recovery.   

Results:  Women rated their parenting efficacy as very high, (M=35.04, SD=6.89), and satisfaction as quite low (M=35.53, SD=7.33).  Independent sample t-tests revealed that efficacy scores were significantly higher than normative samples (t=17.82, p<.001). Satisfaction scores for this group of mothers were significantly lower than normative samples (t=5.56, p<.001).  Children comprised almost 10% of mother’s personal network members and most almost always provided emotional and sobriety support for mothers.  Mothers also frequently described reciprocal relationships between themselves and their children in which they each provided emotional support to the other.  Qualitative data identify the importance of children in mother’s personal networks during recovery.  Mothers reported that children served as a mirror for them, and that desire for increased contact with children and to have their children more integrated into their lives motivated them in their recovery process.

Implications:  Theoretical consideration will be given to explain the elevated parenting efficacy and lowered parenting satisfaction scores in this population.  These include the possibility that shame and fear may lead to elevated self-evaluations as well as cognitive distortions related to addiction itself.  Poverty and social marginalization may explain the lowered satisfaction scores.  Findings highlight the ways in which relationships with children facilitate recovery and suggest that dyadic interventions with mother and child in combination with substance abuse/relapse prevention interventions may be effective in reducing relapse.