Psychological Treatment for Substance Use Disorder in Mothers of Young Children: A Scoping Review of Maternal Substance Use and Child Mental Health Outcomes

Substance use disorders (SUD) in mothers of young children can negatively impact the family unit and promote the intergenerational cycle of mental health disorders. This scoping review aims to: 1) provide an overview of psychological substance use treatments for mothers of young children (from birth to 5 years old); 2) synthesize findings on maternal substance use and child/maternal mental health outcomes; and 3) identify key treatment components. Database searches in Medline, PsychINFO, PubMED, and PsycARTICLES were conducted on May 7th, 2024. A total of 14, 916 articles were identified following duplicate removal. Articles were screened following PRISMA guidelines. Nine articles (n = 931) met inclusion criteria. Outcomes of interest included maternal substance use, child/maternal mental health, and treatment components. All studies indicated maternal substance use treatments were at least as, or more, effective in improving maternal substance use and child/maternal mental health outcomes compared to treatment as usual. Treatment components included: mother/family mental health, basic needs, parenting skills, occupation/education, operant conditioning, crisis management, and medical education. Operant conditioning was the only treatment component which appeared to positively impact maternal substance use outcomes; no other treatment components were associated with outcomes of interest. This review provides preliminary evidence highlighting the benefits of substance use treatments for mothers of young children on substance use and mental health outcomes. Future randomized controlled studies with harmonized outcome measures and qualitative data that identify treatment needs of mothers with lived experience are crucial to evaluate maternal substance use treatments and improve treatment development.