title: Vulnerable parenting among mothers with substance abuse in their family of origin: a cross-sectional comparative study of mothers in an infant and toddler program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether women raised in a family with substance abuse constitute a particularly vulnerable group of patients in an infant psychiatry setting and to identify the risk factors of suspected parental malfunctioning in women referred to treatment in an infant and toddler intervention program.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  A history of family substance abuse can severely disrupt the caretaking abilities of parents in ways that can have far-reaching consequences, and children growing up with insufficient parental care may incorporate this deficiency into their own parental behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 126 mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing their substance abuse and health problems as well as problems in their family of origin. The index group was defined as women who reported substance abuse in their family of origin (n = 35). The comparison group was defined as women who denied substance abuse in their family of origin (n = 91).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptoms of depression and anxiety were overrepresented in the total group of mothers compared with the Swedish norm. The index group had experienced parental divorce and traumatic life events more often and reported earlier substance abuse of their own. They had significantly more depression and ADHD symptoms and were more often single parents. All these factors can have a negative influence, separately or in combination, on the ability to practice sensitive parenting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female offspring of substance-abusing parents are an especially vulnerable group of patients. To prevent the intergenerational transmission of alcohol and drug abuse, it is important to identify parents with specific needs and to administer targeted treatment and support at primary health care centers and child psychiatric clinics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lund University, Baravägen 1, 22185 Lund, Sweden ; Office for Healthcare 'Sund', Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Infant and Toddler Unit, 20502 Malmö, Sweden ; Beritta Gurrisgatan 17, 217 74 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6752-2642
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tedgård
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lund University, Baravägen 1, 22185 Lund, Sweden ; Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Råstam
keywords: ADHD; Depression; Family of origin; Parenting; Substance abuse