Use of psychoactive substances by parents and relationships with children: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Objective: to describe the impact of parenthood of psychoactive substances on the mental health and development of children. Method: this is an integrative review of the literature whose search took place between the months of August and October 2020. Studies were selected whose theme investigated the influence of parenting on the development and mental health of children. The exclusion criteria were articles that approached the theme in a tangential way, such as the parents’ behavior regarding the use of substances by their children. Results: five articles were selected that addressed elements of parenting that influence the development of mental disorders in children. The negligent parental style was related to negative consequences in the children’s lives, mainly because it is associated most often with the abuse of psychoactive substances. Conclusion: it was found that the parenting style can directly influence the lives of children, causing a problem in mental health and development, especially due to lack of care, abandonment by parents and decreased school performance.