The emotional and psychiatric problems of adolescents on parole whose parents are substance users: A Brazilian cross-sectional study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the associations between having parents with substance use problems, and having suffered neglect within the family, and behavioral problems (psychological and drug use) among adolescents. All the participants were enrolled on the socio-educational parole scheme, ‘Assisted Freedom’. In this cross-sectional study, 150 adolescents were interviewed using the Drug Abuse Screening Test, Teen Addiction Severity Index, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Ninety-five percent of the participants were male ( n = 143), aged 13–17. Thirty percent of adolescents had a parent who used substances and had experienced neglect from their families. Those adolescents who were living with both parents (odds ratio adjusted (ORA) = 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13–6.37), from a low-income family (ORA = 6.7, 95% CI = 1.85–24.22), experienced hallucinations (ORA = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.25–6.14), had problems controlling violent behavior (ORA = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.12–5.87), and were physically neglected (ORA = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.24–7.49) were more likely to have parents who used substances and to have experienced parental neglect. This article concludes that adolescents, who are on parole, come from families with high level of psychosocial vulnerabilities, including substance use, experience neglect by their families leading to adverse emotional and psychological states.