More than 1 in 10 U.S. children live with at least one alcoholic parent, according to a new study released by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Some 7.5 million kids younger than 18 (10.5% of this population) live with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. The study was conducted in conjunction with Children of Alcoholics Week, Feb. 12-18, 2012.
According to the report, 6.1 million of these children live with two parents, one or both of whom experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. The remaining 1.4 million of these children live in a house with a single alcoholic parent. Of these children, 1.1 million live in a single-mother household and the remainder live in a single-father household.
“Studies have shown that the children of parents with untreated alcohol disorders are at far greater risk for developing alcohol and other problems later in their lives,” said SAMHSA administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “SAMHSA and others are promoting programs that can help those with alcohol disorders find recovery — not only for themselves, but for the sake of their children.”
SAMHSA offers an online treatment locator service and helpline, 800-662-HELP (4357).
The report, Data Spotlight: Over 7 Million Children Live with a Parent with Alcohol Problems, is based on data analyzed from SAMHSA’s 2005-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual national survey of approximately 67,500 people age 12 and older. SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
