Roya Ijadi-Maghsoodi1,2,3, Michelle Quan4, John Horton2, Gery W Ryan5, Sheryl Kataoka1,2,6, Patricia Lester1,2, Norweeta G Milburn1,2, Lillian Gelberg7,8,9. 1. UCLA Division of Population Behavioral Health, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, California. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. 3. VA Health Service Research and Development (HSR&D), Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California. 4. UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. 5. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California. 6. UCLA Center for Health Services and Society, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, California. 7. Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. 8. Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California. 9. Office of Healthcare Transformation and Innovation, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California.
Abstract
Objectives: We sought to understand the stressors, the parent-child relationship and family processes, and experiences with services among families experiencing parental substance use disorders (SUDs) and homelessness. Methods: We conducted a total of 41 in-depth semistructured interviews with parents with a history of SUDs and homelessness (n = 16) and housing support staff (n = 25) from May 2017 until January 2018. Participants were recruited from transitional housing facilities across the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which served families experiencing homelessness and parental SUDs. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and themes coded with Dedoose. Results: We found a high burden of trauma and guilt among parents, and a fear of SUD disclosure. We found challenges with family processes important for SUD prevention, including communication, discussion of substance use, and family and youth goal setting. We also discovered unique stressors related to navigating housing and services within the community. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the need for a family-based SUD-preventive intervention for youth growing up in families with parental SUDs and experiencing homelessness, to address the heightened SUD risk. In addition, findings from our study can inform clinical and housing services for this important population.
Objectives: We sought to understand the stressors, the parent-child relationship and family processes, and experiences with services among families experiencing parental substance use disorders (SUDs) and homelessness. Methods: We conducted a total of 41 in-depth semistructured interviews with parents with a history of SUDs and homelessness (n = 16) and housing support staff (n = 25) from May 2017 until January 2018. Participants were recruited from transitional housing facilities across the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which served families experiencing homelessness and parental SUDs. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and themes coded with Dedoose. Results: We found a high burden of trauma and guilt among parents, and a fear of SUD disclosure. We found challenges with family processes important for SUD prevention, including communication, discussion of substance use, and family and youth goal setting. We also discovered unique stressors related to navigating housing and services within the community. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the need for a family-based SUD-preventive intervention for youth growing up in families with parental SUDs and experiencing homelessness, to address the heightened SUD risk. In addition, findings from our study can inform clinical and housing services for this important population.
Entities:
Keywords:
family homelessness; homelessness; parental substance use; qualitative
Authors: April Joy Damian; Delilah Ponce; Angel Ortiz-Siberon; Zeba Kokan; Ryan Curran; Brandon Azevedo; Melanie Gonzalez Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-08-09 Impact factor: 4.614