African American Women’s Experiences of Parental Discipline Post Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Date of Conferral

10-13-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Gabe Turner

Abstract

Substance use amongst African American mothers has been linked to a number of adverse effects in parental practices, including higher levels of maltreatment, strained family dynamics, delays with the child’s development, and harsh forms of discipline. There is an abundance of literature on how parenting styles affect children, yet little is known about the influence of parental discipline post discharge from a substance use residential treatment facility, specifically among African American mothers. Examining the impact of substance use on African American mothers’ parenting is important as experts in the field such as behavioral health therapists can tailor therapeutic interventions to improve their parenting skills after discharge from treatment to maintain sobriety. Guided by social cognitive theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women post treatment from a residential facility who completed parenting classes and the outcome of implementing learned discipline practices. Experiential anecdotes of data collected from semistructured interviews with eight participants were hand coded for emergent themes; analysis generated four essential themes and 10 subthemes of experience. This study’s implications for positive social change include contributing to the knowledge base about the process of amending parental discipline experienced by African American mothers who completed substance use treatment at a residential facility. Findings may improve support services to prevent adverse long-term effects of substance use, develop culturally relevant interventions, and promote resilience to avoid relapse.

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