Despite ongoing concern about the impact of parental substance abuse on child development, there are a number of unresolved questions about ways in which parental drug use and comorbid psychopathology affect the psychosocial adjustment of children. Building upon theory and methodology from the field of developmental psychopathology, we will use a conceptual model of causal Influence, a comprehensive approach to measurement, and both individual- and variable-based approaches to data analysis to address four specific issues concerning the impact of maternal drug dependence and comorbid psychopathology on developmental outcomes for school-age children and adolescents living with an opioid-dependent mother. Using a stratified sample of 525 mothers caring for children 8 to 17 years of age under conditions representing varying degrees of risk for poor developmental outcomes, we will: 1) distinguish risks associated with maternal drug use from those associated with comorbid psychopathology common among opioid-dependent women; 2) examine patterns of social competence in the children and clarify the relationships present among competence, early substance use, and emerging psychopathology; 3) explore ways in which in utero exposure to drugs of abuse, perinatal complications, psychological trauma, and exposure to high risk family environments mediate relationships between maternal drug use, comorbid psychopathology and developmental outcomes; and 4) explore ways in which attributes of the chid, positive aspects of the family environment. social support, and utilization of community services attenuate risk and promote positive child development despite the presence of adversity. By clarifying developmental processes promoting both positive and negative child development within this specific population, we expect the findings will offer direction for future research done with children living with a drug, dependent parent and inform the ongoing development of intervention for this disenfranchised population of drug-dependent women and their children, particularly intervention designed to move beyond remediation of deficits toward promotion of child resilience.
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