School-age children of fathers with substance use disorder: are they a high risk population?

This study examined the association between parental substance use and the increased risk among school-age children to developing psychosocial problems. Data were collected from 148 children aged 8-11 from urban areas in Israel. The following variables were assessed by four self-report questionnaires administered to the children: attachment style, family resources and emotional distress. The only significant difference found was that an insecure-avoidant attachment style was more prevalent among children of fathers with SUD than children with no parental history of SUD. This difference in insecure-avoidant attachment style may be an indication that, even though there were no significant emotional signs yet, children of fathers with SUD are a high-risk population in need of a preventive program.