title: Substance-abusing parents' attitudes toward allowing their custodial children to participate in treatment: a comparison of mothers versus fathers.
abstract: Attitudes of substance-abusing fathers (N = 214) and mothers (N = 106) entering outpatient treatment toward allowing their custodial children to participate in individual- or family-based interventions were examined. Only 129 parents (40%) reported they would be willing to allow their children to participate in treatment. A significantly greater proportion of mothers reported they would assent to their children participating (N = 58 [55%]) compared with fathers (N = 71 [33%]). Factors associated with parents' attitudes toward their children participating included parents' (a) referral source into treatment, (b) level of psychiatric distress, and (c) substance use frequency in the previous year. Thus, parental reluctance to allow their children to participate appears to be a significant barrier in efforts to intervene with these at-risk children.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA. wstewart@ria.buffalo.edu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fals-Stewart
authors.forename: Frank D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Fincham
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kelley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires