According to a new study, substance use in parents could be detrimental to the well-being of their children in all aspects of health. The findings were published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.
Researchers at the Cardiff University conducted a meta-analysis of 56 studies which investigated the association between parental substance use and child well-being. The authors evaluated the effects of parental substance abuse on five aspects of child well-being, i.e., physical, psychological, cognitive, social and economic.
The findings showed that overall, parental substance use was associated with a reduction in child well-being across all five areas, and this effect was found to persist over time. Furthermore, parental drug use had more pronounced negative effects on child well-being than parental use of alcohol or tobacco.
The authors said: "Given that large numbers of children may be affected, the challenges that families face over substance use must be addressed for the future well-being of children."