Against the Current: Exploring the Experiences of Five Fathers With a History of Substance Use

Abstract

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic that affects family systems, yet little is known about the experiences of parents who abuse substances. Five fathers with a substance use disorder, all over the age of 18, and having at least one child, were participants. Qualitative methods were used to uncover how these fathers view their journey of parenthood. In-depth interviews were conducted using the Kawa model as a conceptual framework to gain a comprehensive understanding of their experiences. Four themes emerged. More research is needed to better understand these meaningful occupations and the role gender plays.

Keywords:

• Kawa model
• substance use
• fathers
• qualitative methodology

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all of the participants who shared their powerful stories and gave voice to their experience of this epidemic. We would like to thank our multiple gatekeepers who helped to make this study happen: Donna Coyle, Ayla Fleming, Jennifer Gardner, Laura Hennessy, Linda Lanni, Shelby Leder, Charles Radiola, Diana Salvador, and Michael Teti. We would like to thank Michael Iwama for creating this model that this research was built on.