Specifying the Relations among PTSD Symptom Clusters and Parenting Stress in Mothers Engaged in Substance Use Treatment

Introduction Parenting stress is often heightened in mothers receiving treatment for substance use. Experiences of trauma are commonly seen in this population, which may give rise to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including intrusion, avoidance, negative cognition and mood, and affective arousal. While past research has demonstrated a significant relation between PTSD symptoms and parenting stress, no studies have examined the relative contributions of these symptoms to parenting stress in mothers engaged in substance use treatment. Methods Seventy-four mothers attending outpatient substance use treatment who were parenting children aged 0-3 years completed measures of parenting stress, PTSD, substance use, and depression symptoms. Results A canonical correlation analysis indicated two canonical variates accounting for significant variance between PTSD symptom clusters and parenting stress measures. The first canonical variate, primarily reflecting depressive and PTSD cognition and mood symptoms, was predominantly related to the parental distress aspect of parenting stress (40%). The second canonical variate, primarily reflecting intrusion and avoidance PTSD symptoms, was associated with increased parental perceptions of their child as difficult (10%). Conclusion Future research directions and clinical implications of these results are discussed for designing parenting interventions with mothers attending substance use treatment who present with PTSD symptoms.