Maternal Attentiveness of Cocaine Abusers During Child-Based Assessments

• NCJ Number: 166333
• Journal: American Journal on Addictions Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1997) Pages: 135-143
• Author(s): S A Ball; L C Mayes; J A DeTeso; R S Schottenfeld
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): RA-DA-06025; R18-DA-06-915-01
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

Ninety-four cocaine-abusing mothers were compared with 70 mothers who did not use cocaine on videotaped ratings of attentiveness to their children during developmental assessments done at ages 3, 6, 12, and 18 months.

Abstract

The participants were an inner-city, predominantly single, unemployed, and high-school educated group of women; their average age was 27.4 years. The study rated 64 mothers at the child's age of 3 months, 80 at 6 months, 90 at 12 months, and 53 at 18 months. Results revealed that at the 3-month assessment only, the cocaine-abusing women spent a lower percentage of time being attentive and made more shifts in attentiveness than did the mothers in the control group. These differences did not exist at the assessments at 6, 12, and 18 months. Findings indicated that maternal attentiveness appears to be more strongly related to current depression symptoms than to addiction severity in the cocaine-abusing group. Table, figure, and 31 references (Author abstract modified)