Parental Substance Use Disorders Impact Nearly 17 Million Children, According to Study

A study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine estimates that nearly 17 million children and adolescents in the United States live with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder. This represents an 81% increase from earlier estimates. The study’s authors attribute the dramatic rise not to a sudden surge in parental substance use, but to a change in how these disorders are defined and diagnosed.

According to the study, which was led by researchers at Texas State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Vital Strategies, approximately 12.8 million children are exposed to parental alcohol use disorder, 5 million to cannabis use disorder, and more than 1 million to prescription opioid use disorder. The authors discuss that many of these children live in households where parents have multiple substance use disorders. 

Research has shown that exposure to parental substance use disorders increases the risk of children developing substance use disorders, along with a range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders. In addition, parents with opioid use disorder, in particular, bring an even more acute set of risks to the family and are associated with higher rates of overdose.¹

“The increase in the number of children who live with a parent with a substance use disorder was a great surprise, and it highlights the massive scale of services that these parents and children will need to be successful,” said lead author Dr. Ty Schepis, professor of psychology at Texas State University. “These children are at high risk for not just substance use issues of their own, but also mental health challenges and interactions with the legal and child welfare systems.”

The study’s authors report that the findings will be used to inform future research focused on prevention efforts and service needs for affected families. They also note that results are being shared across multiple audiences to raise awareness and guide programming for children living with parental substance use disorders.

Read the Full Study

The Article: Schepis TS, Veliz PT, West BT, McCabe VV, Hulsey E, Kcomt L, McCabe SE. US youth exposed to parental substance use disorder in the home: a comparison of DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria. J Addict Med. Published online February 17, 2025. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000001469

Reference: Smith VC, Wilson CR, Committee on Substance Use and Prevention, Ryan SA, Gonzalez PK, Patrick SW, Quigley J, Siqueira L, Walker LR. Families affected by parental substance use. Pediatrics. 2016;138(2):e20161575. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1575