Differential Effects of Maternal and Paternal Warmth on Adult Recovery Support and Personal Network Characteristics Among Women in Substance Abuse Treatment

Purpose:  Previous research has identified poor early bonding experiences during the first 16 years of life for women with substance use disorders (SUDs) (Suchman, 2006). Additionally, poor early bonding experiences negatively impact adults’ capacity to establish and utilize social support (Suchman, McMahon, Slade, & Luthar, 2005). This is especially of concern for women with SUDs for whom social support is associated with recovery maintenance and treatment retention. Poor early bonding experiences may increase vulnerability to limited social supports and potential relapse. The purpose of this NIDA funded study was twofold, to examine the influence of early bonding experiences, specifically paternal and maternal warmth, on recovery related social support and personal network characteristics among women in treatment for SUDs, and to compare the differential influences of paternal versus maternal warmth on recovery related variables.    

Methods:  Data were collected from 254 women upon intake to one of three substance abuse treatment programs.  Eligibility criteria included having been in treatment for one week following intake, and a diagnosis of alcohol and /or drug dependence. The Parental Bonding Instrument assessed women’s early bonding experiences with their own parents during childhood.  Social support was examined using both the Social Support for Recovery and Friends Support for Recovery scales, and EgoNet- a computerized assessment of personal network characteristics. Linear regression was used to test whether maternal and paternal warmth were differentially associated with recovery support.  In models where both maternal and paternal warmth were found to be significant, advanced simulation procedures were conducted to visualize the effect of different levels of maternal and paternal warmth using the Zelig package for R, Version 3.2.2  (R Core Team 2015). The composition of women’s social networks was assessed across five dimensions.  Three types of distributions were observed among these variables.  Accordingly, either ordinal logistic, Poisson or multiple linear regressions were fitted to predict the impact of maternal and paternal warmth on the composition of participants’ social networks. 

 

Results:  The average age of the 254 women included in this study was 37.2 years (sd=10.6; range = 18 – 63), and 60% of women identified as Black. Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders were observed among 74.3% of participants. More than half (58.2%) reported alcohol dependence and cocaine dependence (63.3%).  Paternal warmth (β = 0.09), but not maternal warmth, was positively associated with Friends’ Support for Recovery.  For the model predicting Social Support for Recovery scores, both maternal warmth (β = 0.15) and paternal warmth (β = 0.08) were significantly associated with increases in recovery-specific social support.  Paternal warmth but not maternal was found to significantly predict the number of social network members who almost always support sobriety and the number who use drugs and alcohol within one’s network. 

Implications:  Developmental experiences associated with fathers appear to effect different domains of adult functioning than those associated with mothers, for women with SUD.  Attention to these differences may inform substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts. Future research will examine differential effects of maternal and paternal warmth on additional personal network characteristics.