(PS10-B30) Factors Promoting Resilience Among College Students Exposed to Parental Substance Abuse

Factors Promoting Resilience among College Students Exposed to Parental Substance Abuse

Makena L. Kaylor-Tapscott, B.A. & Maureen A. Sullivan, Ph.D.

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an increase in misuse of opioids, alcohol, and other substances. Consequences of the rise in substance misuse, such as an increase in drug-related overdoses, have already been documented. Negative ramifications extend into the family and are long-lasting. Children of substance-abusing caregivers are especially vulnerable to negative outcomes. Parental substance abuse has been linked with depressive symptoms in children and is categorized as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). ACEs are associated with higher rates of depression in adults. However, many adults who grew up with caregivers that abused substances do not experience later psychological distress. Parenting practices may influence the link between ACEs and depression. One study found that substance abusing parents showed less warmth and their children were more vulnerable to other forms of maltreatment. Caregivers who practice more positive parenting (i.e. warmth, affection, praise) may provide a buffer from the negative impact of parental substance abuse. Individual characteristics, such as resilience, may also be key. It is crucial to understand the mechanisms that lead to differential outcomes among children. We expected that resilience would buffer the indirect effect of ACEs (through parental warmth) on depression.

Methods:

Our study included 196 college students who had been exposed to parental substance abuse. Many college students have recently left their caregivers home which means they can provide a more accurate report of parenting. However, many live on their own and are old enough to be experiencing longer term impacts of parental substance abuse. Participants completed an online survey that included adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), depressive symptoms (DASS-21), and resilience (CD-RISC), and retrospective report of their caregiver’s parenting (PBI). Moderated mediation analysis with the indirect effect of adverse experiences on depression via parenting at different levels of resilience was used. The analysis was conducted using Hayes’ (2017) PROCESS Model 14 with 5,000 bootstrap samples.

Results &

Discussion:

The indirect effect of ACEs on depression via parental warmth at low levels of resilience (b=.465, CI= .209-.776) and moderate levels of resilience (b=.293, CI= .124-.513) of resilience was significant. However, there was not a conditional indirect effect at high resilience levels. Thus, the indirect effect of ACEs on depression via parental warmth is partially conditional on resilience. Additional results including descriptives and correlations will be included. Our findings help to highlight potential areas of intervention to support children impacted by the current substance abuse crisis. Knowledge of risk and protective factors may then lead to effective preventative interventions and promote resilience in children exposed to parental substance abuse. Implications and future directions will be discussed.