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The methamphetamine home: psychological impact on preschoolers in rural Tennessee

Comfort B Asanbe1, Charlene Hall, Charles D Bolden

  • 1Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA. asanbe@mail.csi.cuny.edu

The Journal of Rural Health : Official Journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association
|July 23, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children living in homes where methamphetamine is produced showed more externalizing behaviors, including aggression. Early mental health screening is recommended for children removed from these environments.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Increasing numbers of children are exposed to methamphetamine (MA) production environments.
  • The psychological impact of MA-producing homes on child development remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the risk of psychological problems in preschoolers exposed to methamphetamine-producing homes.
  • To compare behavioral and emotional adjustment in children with and without exposure to MA-producing environments.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 58 preschoolers (ages 4-5) in rural Tennessee was studied.
  • 31 children had lived in MA-producing homes; 27 served as controls.
  • Behavioral and emotional adjustment was assessed using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Parent Rating Scale-Preschool (BASC-PRS-P).

Main Results:

  • Preschoolers from MA-producing homes exhibited significantly more externalizing problems compared to controls.
  • Higher rates of aggression symptoms were observed in children exposed to MA-producing homes.
  • No significant differences were found in internalizing problems between the groups.

Conclusions:

  • Exposure to methamphetamine-producing homes is associated with increased externalizing behaviors in preschoolers.
  • These findings suggest a need for mental health screening for children removed from such environments.
  • Further research is warranted to replicate and expand upon these results.
Abstract

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