Millions of U.S. Kids Live with Parents with Substance Use Disorders

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In 2023, more than 46 million adults in the U.S. had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the previous year. In addition to serious or even life-threatening health risks for the substance users, SUDs can also affect entire families.

Children whose parents or caregivers have substance use problems are more likely to have negative experiences early in life. They’re also more apt to start using drugs or alcohol at younger ages themselves. And they have greater incidence of SUDs and other mental health conditions.

A University of Michigan research team wanted to know how many U.S. children were exposed to substance use and addiction at home. The team used data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This survey collects nationwide data on drug use, SUDs and mental health issues each year. Findings appeared in JAMA Pediatrics.

Based on the survey and population data, the researchers estimated that nearly 19 million children under age 18 lived with one or more parents with an SUD in 2023. That’s a quarter of all U.S. children. More than 7.5 million lived with a parent with a moderate to severe SUD. Nearly 3.5 million had a parent with multiple SUDs. And more than 6 million children had at least one parent with a co-existing SUD and mental illness (defined as major depressive disorder or serious psychological distress).

Alcohol use disorder was the most prevalent parental SUD among surveyed households, affecting more than 12 million children. More than 6 million kids had a parent with cannabis use disorder, while more than 2 million had a parent with a disorder related to prescription drugs. About 1 million had a parent with a SUD related to illicit drugs other than cannabis.

Family-based interventions to address SUDs have the potential to improve the health of millions of U.S. children and their families. —Kendall Morgan, adapted from NIH Research Matters