Intergenerational Trauma Among Substance-Using Native American, Latina, and White Mothers Living in the Southwestern United States

Abstract

The high rates of traumatic experiences reported by women who use alcohol and drugs have been documented in the literature. This study builds on the existing literature by examining the experiences of intergenerational family loss trauma among 226 mothering female substance users from 3 racial and ethnic groups: Native American (26.5%), Latina (24.8%), and White (48.7%). Demographic information, substance use, intergenerational exposure to mothering, and other family traumatic losses were compared across racial and ethnic groups. Data indicate both similarities and significant differences in demographic characteristics, type of drug use, and traumatic family loss experiences—with a higher percentage of Native American women reporting instances of intergenerational family loss. The extent of intergenerational family traumatic loss among women who use substances is discussed, along with social policies that perpetuate such loss. Recommendations for effectively intervening at the individual, family, and policy levels are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• ethnic differences
• family loss
• mothering
• substance abuse
• trauma

We wish to acknowledge and thank the women who participated in the HerStory to Health project. Their lives reveal a tenacity to survive their circumstances and through their participation they provided an opportunity for researchers and service providers to learn.