| Abstract: | Twenty-one patients of the Family Center Program for pregnant drug dependent women were studied employing tools which indicate potential ability to parent or risk of child abuse. The Profile of Mood States and Beck Depression Inventory were administered, and a Violence Questionnaire was self-administered to ascertain the presence of physical or sexual abuse in the mothers' lives. These results were compared to an assessment of parenting ability as well as general demographics and urinalyses which indicate whether the mothers were taking any drugs in addition to their methadone. Results revealed that there were strong relationships between parenting ability and abusive life events, prenatal clinic attendance, use of depressant drugs, number of children, age, and education and/or employment. These variables were also interrelated with depression, abnormal mood states, and general drug abuse. It appears that while polydrug abuse, psychological problems, and stressful life events are strong indicators of poor parenting ability, the successfully methadone maintained woman who does not feel the need to supplement her methadone with other drugs, whose life has stabilized, and who is relatively normal in her affect and mood, has a strong potential for good childrearing ability. |
