One in four children lives in a family environment where alcohol abuse or alcoholism negatively affects their world and their healthy development. Countless others are also hurt by parental drug abuse. There is growing evidence that living in such families during the crucial developmental years can create lifetime mental and physical health consequences, as well as confusion and fear in the present. All health care professionals who see children have a wide array of opportunities to identify and offer support.
The
Health and Social Impact of Growing Up With Alcohol Abuse and Related
Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Human and Economic Costs of the Status
Quo.
>Recognizing
the interrelationship of growing up in a family with addiction and other
serious adverse childhood experiences that create chronic emotional
stress for developing children, NACoA is pleased to make available the
paper prepared as a handout to accompany Dr. Anda’s Children’s
Forum presentation, The Health and Social Impact of Growing Up With
Alcohol Abuse and Related Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Human and
Economic Costs of the Status Quo.
Contemporary PEDIATRICS, a magazine that provides “practical information for today’s pediatricians,” had as its December 2004 cover story a five-page article written by NACoA, “Help for Children in Families Hurt by Substance Abuse.” The article offers tools and simple strategies for primary health providers to ask children in their care if anyone in their family drinks too much or uses drugs that causes them to worry and it gives easy and quick ways for the provider to respond and help.
 See full article |
Related Materials:
Screening,
Early Identification, and Office-based Intervention With Children and
Youth Living in Substance-abusing Families
By Mark J. Werner, MD, Alain Joffe, MD, MPH , and Antonnette V. Graham,
PhD, MSW, RN
To
Walk With One Child
By Jerry Moe, MA
The
Role of the Primary Care Physician
By Hoover Adger, Jr., MD, MPH
Prevention
and Intervention Strategies With Children of Alcoholics
By James G. Emshoff, PhD and Ann W. Price, MA
Children of Alcoholics: Important Facts
Children of Addicted Parents (PDF)