The results of a new study have indicated that many parents are unaware almost half the time of their teenage children using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Although, studies conducted previously have shown that parents were able to report symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and also of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), when researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine examined the assessments of parents in reporting symptoms of alcohol and drug use and abuse, they found that many parents were oblivious of their teenager's drug and alcohol habit.
Study co-author Laura Jean Bierut, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, explains: "'Externalizing' disorders such as ADHD and ODD have behaviors associated with them that are obvious and affect others. For example, a child who cannot sit still or focus on his or her work at school and is disruptive in the classroom, or a child who argues with his or her parents or refuses to do the things that they ask. However, the symptoms associated with 'internalizing' disorders such as depression can be much more subtle and not as easily recognized. Things like feelings of worthlessness or loss of interest in favorite activities can be very troubling to a child, but they don't necessarily impact others and might go unnoticed unless the child chooses to talk about them."
For this study, Dr. Bierut along with her colleagues interviewed 591 pairs of adolescent children and their parents regarding their use of drug and alcohol. When researchers compared the teenager's drug, alcohol habits with what their parents said about their children's habits, they found that the parents were oblivious to their teenager's drinking and drug use almost half the time. While 54 percent of teenagers reported using alcohol, only 50 percent of the parents knew about it. 44 percent of the teenagers reported using tobacco; however only 55 percent of the parents reported it. For Marijuana, 23 percent of the teenagers reported its use, while only 47 percent of the parents reported it. As far as harder drugs were concerned, like cocaine, speed and downers, when the child reported using them, only 28 percent of the parents reported that their children used these.
Another factor noted by the researchers was that parents of older teens were more aware of their children's drug habits as compared to parents of younger teens. "Specifically, there was higher agreement between the reports of parents and older adolescents," said Dr. Bierut. "Parental agreement was highest with 16- to 17-year-olds, and lowest with 12- to 13-year-olds. This is very troubling because research has shown that starting to use alcohol and drugs at a young age is a risk factor for developing substance abuse or dependence in the future," she added.
The study results have been published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research in their October issue.
