The role of fathers in adolescent cannabis use disorder: Public perceptions of paternal shame and responsibility

2025/11/16 by Olivia C. Bishop, Jessica M. Perry, Bhavya Sehgal +3 · 1 voice
Medicine · #Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research #Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

paper · doi:10.1080/09687637.2025.2587620

openalex created_date 2025/11/16 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14

Abstract

Background: When youth experience substance use disorders (SUDs), their parents are often faced with stigma and assigned responsibility for their child’s disorder. While existing literature primarily focuses on the experiences of mothers of children with SUDs, fathers are also subject to blame and stigma from family, healthcare professionals, and the public. The present study qualitatively investigated public perceptions of paternal responsibility and shame in the context of an adolescent with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methods: After reading a vignette about a father and his adolescent child with CUD, 78 Canadian adults answered two open-ended questions which gauged whether participants assigned responsibility and shame to the father. Responses were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. Results: Five themes were revealed, which covered a range of perceptions and opinions regarding parenting, substance use, adolescent autonomy, paternal responsibility, and shame. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of public education on substance use, the hardships that parents of youth with SUDs face, and the need for SUD de-stigmatization.

Citations

• An Attribution Model of Public Discrimination Towards Persons with Mental Illness
• Examining the profile of high-potency cannabis and its association with severity of cannabis dependence
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• Courtesy stigma toward parents of adolescents with cannabis use disorder: examining the role of language and gender in a Canadian sample
• Choosing appropriate language to reduce the stigma around mental illness and substance use disorders
• Time since first cannabis use and 12‐month prevalence of cannabis use disorder among youth and emerging adults in the United States
• Coming Closer in Adolescence: Convergence in Mother, Father, and Adolescent Reports of Parenting
• The paradox of self-stigma and mental illness.

Discussions

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