URN_ISBN_978-952-302-214-0

Abstract
Perälä Marja-Leena, Kanste Outi, Halme Nina, Pitkänen Tuuli, Kuussaari Kristiina,
Partanen Airi & Nykänen Sirpa: Parents in substance abuse services - support, involvement
and co-operation. Reports 21/2014. 219 pages. Helsinki, Finland 2014.
ISBN 978-952-302-213-3 (printed); ISBN 978-952-302-214-0 (pdf).
The study provided information on parents with substance abuse problems who had
children under 9 years, on their family situation, need for support and access to help,
and also on the parents’ involvement. In addition, information on collaboration between
substance abuse treatment units and parents, co-operation with other parties
serving children and families and also on the functionality of the service system is
provided. The data were collected by interviewing substance-abusing parents of
young children (n=34) during their inpatient period in substance abuse treatment and
through a postal questionnaire aimed at employees and managers (n=132) working
in substance abuse treatment units in 2009–2011. The views of parents were compared
with the data from a postal questionnaire for parents of young children (Perälä
et al. 2011b), of which some of the latter parents were in need of treatment for their
substance abuse problems. The views of employees and managers in substance
abuse treatment units were compared to the views of employees (Halme et al. 2014)
and managers (Perälä et al. 2011a) working in health care, social welfare and educational
settings.
Family situation, need for support and access to help. The parents with substance
abuse problems had experienced a wide variety of burdens in their lives. Several
parents had already experienced difficulties in their own childhood. Parents using
substance abuse services often have children who do not live in the same household
as the parents. It is important to take also these children into account when assessing
parental substance use and harms caused by it.
Parents with substance abuse problems reported more worries than other parents
regarding their child and the child’s development environment. For parents in treatment
the most frequent worries concerned their own or their spouse’s substance use,
their own coping, financial and work situation and feelings of guilt. Parents with
substance abuse problems more frequently than other parents needed help and support
for problems concerning mental health and substance abuse, help and support
from peers, and moral support. Most often parents reported receiving the support
they needed in issues concerning the child’s health and education, while most often
they lacked help and support in issues related to intimate relationships and economic
issues.
The threshold for seeking help for substance abuse problems was high for many
parents. When parents had finally sought help, the assistance had been relatively
difficult to obtain, professional knowledge of substance abuse had been weak, or
THL — Raportti 21/2014 10
Vanhempi päihdepalveluissa
— tuki, osallisuus ja yhteistoiminta