Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Substance Use Disorders among Patients at Mathari National Teaching & Referral Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Substance Use Disorder is a significant public health challenge globally, with the recent report by National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse indicating one in every six Kenyans aged 15-65 years is currently using at least one drug or substance of abuse. This study examined the relationship between parenting styles and substance use disorders among patients at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine the parenting styles experienced by SUD patients in the rehabilitation unit, to determine the relationship between parental substance use and the likelihood of SUD development, and to determine the correlation between parenting styles and the development of SUD. The study employed a mixed-methods correlational design, combining quantitative assessment through the Parental Styles Four-Factor Questionnaire (PSFFQ) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-25) with qualitative semi-structured interviews. The study population comprised all 46 patients admitted to the hospital's rehabilitation unit during the data collection period, representing diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds across Kenya. Quantitative findings revealed that participants predominantly experienced authoritarian (mean = 3.07) and authoritative (mean = 3.04) parenting styles during their upbringing, with lower exposure to permissive (mean = 2.77) and neglectful (mean = 2.13) styles. DAST-25 screening indicated severe substance use problems across the sample, with 68.9% scoring in the severe range (16-25 points) and a mean score of 18.87 (SD = 3.92). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that parenting styles collectively explained only 12.1% of variance in DAST scores (R² = 0.121, F = 1.37, p = 0.261), indicating that while parenting styles contributes to SUD development, other factors could also be contributing to this at higher rates that parenting styles. Critically, individual coefficient analysis revealed that neglectful parenting emerged as the sole statistically significant predictor of substance use severity (β = 1.595, p = 0.043), while authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive styles showed no significant associations. Qualitative data revealed that substance use initiation occurred between ages 13-27, primarily driven by peer pressure, curiosity, and social contexts. A minority of participants reported parental substance use, predominantly paternal alcohol and tobacco use normalized through cultural gender norms. The findings underscore that emotional neglect and parental disengagement constitute significant risk factors for SUD development in Kenya's context. These results have important implications for clinical practice, suggesting the necessity of family-based interventions, parenting education programs emphasizing emotional availability and consistent engagement, and holistic treatment approaches addressing underlying emotional deficits.