Parenthood, child care and heroin use: Outcomes after three years
Prof. Catherine Comiskey
Trinity College Dublin
Professor Comiskey is the Head of School at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin. Comiskey holds a B.A.(Mod) degree in Mathematics and Philosophy from Trinity College and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in biomathematics with statistics and epidemiology from Dublin City University. In 2007 she was appointed by Minister of Education and Science to serve on the board of The Irish Research Council. She has served as the Inaugural Chairperson of the Children’s Research Network of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2012 she was appointed by the Minister to Chair the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol. In 2013 she was appointed by the EU to serve on the Scientific Committee of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. She currently also serves on the Department of Health’s National Drug Strategy Team and the cross departmental Oversight Forum on Drugs.
Abstract
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal... [ view full abstract ]
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs.
Objectives: The aim of this paper was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and non-parents who use heroin and have children in their care.
Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n= 356) completed interviews at the three year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis.
Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p=.004), illicit methadone (p≤.001) and cocaine (p=.024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p≤.001), benzodiazepine (p=.039) and tobacco (p=.030) use at three years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p=.025).
Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at three years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
This research obtained ethical approval from a leagally constituted Univeristy Ethics Committee.
Authors
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Prof. Catherine Comiskey
(Trinity College Dublin)
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John Hyland
(Dublin Business School)
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Pauline Hyland
(Dublin Business School)
Topic Area
Topics: Children's Healthcare
Session
CH1 » Children's Healthcare 1 (10:30 - Wednesday, 9th November, Seminar Room 0.30)
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