Understanding the systematic barriers faced by parents struggling with substance addiction

Abstract

Parental substance addiction, particularly in the context of Canada’s ongoing overdose crisis, presents significant challenges for families. This thesis explores the systemic barriers faced by parents and pregnant people, who struggle with substance addiction, with a specific focus on the impacts of stigma, service inaccessibility, and intergenerational trauma. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, 15 qualitative studies were analyzed to synthesize common themes regarding the lived experiences of parents navigating addiction and social services. In addition, an autoethnographic component drew on the researcher’s experience as a caseworker in an outreach program supporting pregnant and parenting clients struggling with the impacts of current or historical addiction. The findings revealed that stigma and isolation intersect with barriers related to healthcare, child welfare involvement, and lack of culturally relevant or geographically accessible services. This is especially true for Indigenous parents and those in rural communities. Despite these challenges, many parents demonstrated resilience, commitment to recovery, and parenting strengths that are often overlooked in professional policy and practice. The thesis highlights the need for wrap-around, harm-reduction-based services tailored to the unique needs of parents, and pregnant people who struggle with substance addiction. From these findings, the implications for social work practice include the importance of nonjudgmental, culturally safe, and accessible service delivery that centers client empowerment and recognizes the structural roots of addiction.