Parental opioid use disorder: Examining their children's experiences, needs, and road to resilience

Over 8 million children in the United States live with a parent with substance use disorder (SUD), inclusive of opioid use disorder (OUD). This is an adverse childhood experience (ACE), that often leads to poor outcomes such as developing SUD or mental illness. Interventions and research have focused more on the parent and not their children. Without emphasis on child's experiences, their needs, and building interventions toward developing resilience, the intergenerational cycle of SUD/OUD will persist.

Nine children (ages 12-17) in custody of Social Services, who experienced a parent with OUD, participated in this pilot study. The intervention was SAMHSA's Children's Program Kit: Supportive Education for Children of Addicted Parents. Thematic analysis of verbal responses/behaviors, observations, field notes, and any retained materials (i.e., handouts) was conducted over eight sessions.

Findings included three themes regarding participant's experiences: Meaning of a Parent; Others Involved; and Witnessing the Cycle. Two sub-themes also emerged: Ways to Cope and Support from Various Sources.

Results support mental health nurses as forerunners in building, implementing, and evaluating child-focused interventions for children of parents with OUD. Interventions should focus on the needs of the children and use a strength-based approach to promote their resilience.