Assess Impacts on Child of Parental Substance Misuse

A child being exposed to parental substance misuse is a risk factor in both child custody and child protection cases, as a child who is exposed to parental substance misuse is at higher risk of developing a mental health disorder. This chapter summarises research findings about how parental substance misuse produces negative impacts on children, and identifies mechanisms that transmit harm to children. These mechanisms highlight specific ways that parents need to adjust their parenting practices if they are to repair harm to their relationship with their child. The chapter offers a checklist of common impacts of substance misuse on children that can be used by therapists to guide effective reparation therapy with children who have been affected by parental substance misuse.