Association Between Mothers’ Alcohol Use Histories and Deficient Parenting in an Economically Disadvantaged Sample

Objective: Problematic maternal alcohol use confers risk for child maltreatment, though the effect on specific aspects of parenting is unclear. This study examined concurrent and prospective links among maternal alcohol use history, care neglect, supervisory neglect, and harsh or inconsistent discipline. Method: Multimethod multisource data were utilized to assess deficient parenting in 311 economically disadvantaged mothers at high risk of child maltreatment. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized relations. Results: Maternal history of alcohol use was associated with more inconsistent discipline and higher levels of subsequent supervisory neglect. Secondary analyses among two-parent families found that paternal substance misuse was associated with maternal care neglect and poor supervision. Conclusions: Among low socioeconomic status families, maternal alcohol use increases the risk of inconsistent discipline and inadequate supervision. Inconsistent discipline may also lead to punitive parenting practices. Given the potential effect of paternal substance use on maternal parenting, findings highlight the importance of screening all caregivers for substance use in child welfare and research contexts to clarify when and how to intervene most effectively.