Mental health articles

The existence of dual diagnosis often results in problems associated with housing, relationships, finances and the criminal justice system. There are also considerable issues in relation to parental substance misuse(drug abuse) and its effect on the children of drug misusers.
Children and families generally are affected by dual diagnosis. Unpredictability, involvement with different services and poor treatment outcomes commonly associated with this group of people can have an impact on relationships within and the well-being of family members. By being parented by dually diagnosed service
users, children are vulnerable to losing a parent through death or by being placed into foster care. In the UK, approximately 300,000 children are adversely affected by drug misuse and 800,000 by alcohol abuse.
The effects on children range from missed schooling, increased risk of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, anxiety, social exclusion, poverty and of them becoming users.

The impact of  drug abuse on the mental health of children has been well documented and those exposed to cocaine use show higher levels of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and defiant behaviour by the age of six years.

Tags: children, drug abuse, effect