15-04-2023 | Review
Parenting and the Opioid Epidemic: A Systematic Scoping Review
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 5/2023
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As concern about opioid misuse grows, harm reduction has emphasized individualized care (e.g., treatment access) and systemic solutions (e.g., public policy). A gap in the literature exists surrounding opioid impacts that exist between the individual and societal levels of analysis. This literature review examines opioid impact at the family level, specifically as the parent-child dyad, to identify knowledge gaps and explore implications for treatment and policy. A scoping search of the literature in English was conducted using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and PsychINFO. We followed an iterative search approach and tailored terms to refine search results, narrowed to two domains: (1) opioid-related substance use, and (2) family or parent/child dyad. Three rounds of review resulted in 63 articles, analyzed for descriptive content and characteristics, combined with qualitative thematic analysis. Findings include articles disproportionately focused on mothering versus fathering, yet also evidence that opioid-dependent fathers (vs. other substance use) show more impairments in parenting. Other thematic findings discuss how substance use contributes to maladaptive parental behaviors. There is a need for greater emphasis on the impact of opioid use disorder (OUD) on families and children.