Wendy Haight is a professor of social work at Illinois and part of a research team* looking at the effects of methamphetamine use on families and children. The research has been conducted in seven largely rural Central Illinois counties, with help from the Charleston child welfare field office that serves them. Their studies have involved interviews and psychological testing with children who are in foster care because of their parents’ methamphetamine abuse. The researchers also have interviewed local authorities, child welfare caseworkers, school personnel and others who have had contact with the affected children. In an interview with News Bureau Editor Craig Chamberlain, Haight talked about what they’ve learned and what children from meth-using families need.
What makes methamphetamine so dangerous, for users as well as their children?
The drug is a powerful, highly addictive central nervous system stimulant. The user experiences a rush and euphoria, decreased fatigue and appetite, and increased energy and alertness. The high lasts considerable longer than similar effects from cocaine. Regular use causes serious health problems impacting the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Users also can experience a variety of psychiatric effects such as psychosis, depression, rapid mood changes, irritability, out-of-control rages and violent behavior.
The experiences of children whose parents abuse meth can include neglect and abuse, and exposure to adult substance abuse, violence and criminality. Many have been responsible for taking care not only of themselves, but of their younger brothers and sisters and very ill parents.
What seems to make it such a popular drug of choice in rural areas?
Methamphetamine is relatively inexpensive, and can be produced at home. The process is smelly and can be more readily concealed in rural settings. Also, some of the ingredients used in production are readily available in rural areas, such as the anhydrous ammonia used by farmers as a fertilizer.
What are some of the more common characteristics or behaviors of children of meth-using parents?
Children whose parents abuse meth are a diverse group. Many come into foster care experiencing signs of trauma such as nightmares and anxiety. Some have little experience of what many of us would consider the normal routines of family life. They may have trouble adjusting to a foster home in which there are regular mealtimes, bedtimes, and rules – where adults watch over and care for children.
What have you found is necessary for intervention with these children, in terms of support, expertise or counseling?
It is essential to have supportive, nurturing foster care by wise, patient adults who understand where the child is coming from. It is too easy to become frustrated with a child displaying behaviors that allowed him or her to survive in a family involved with meth – for example, hoarding food, physical aggression and withdrawing from adults. Helping the child to adjust to a more conventional lifestyle takes time, patience and, in many cases, mental health care. Some are very vulnerable to future substance abuse and mental health disorders. Unfortunately, the specialized care critical to addressing trauma and helping these children is in very short supply, especially in rural areas.
Laws have been passed in Illinois and elsewhere controlling the sale of medications containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used in the making of meth. Are there other measures we should be taking?
Anything that can prevent the development of drug problems is a really good thing. I would like to see more resources put in place for recovery rather than punishment for addicts. I would like to see us move from viewing meth use as a voluntary activity and moral failure to a mental illness. The parents we worked with were very ill. They did not “enjoy” being addicted. They did not plan for or want their children to get hurt.
Read more about this research:
- Methamphetamine’s ruinous effects on children documented in midwest study
News Bureau news release 2/2/05 - Study elicits ‘child’s eye’ view of methamphetamine abuse and its effects
News Bureau news release 6/12/06
*Other team leaders on this research project are Teresa Ostler, also a professor of social work at Illinois, and Dr. James Black, a professor of psychiatry at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.
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