Mothers of Adolescents With Cannabis Use Disorder: Exploring Public Perceptions of Maternal Responsibility

Substance use disorders (SUD) are often attributed to upbringing and family dynamics, an assumption that places undue responsibility on parents. Mothers may be particularly susceptible to blame due to traditional gender norms around parenting. This qualitative study explored public perceptions of maternal responsibility and shame in the context of adolescent SUD. Participants were 80 Canadian adults recruited during a larger online survey. After reading a vignette describing a mother and her adolescent child with cannabis use disorder (CUD), participants answered two open-ended prompts exploring perceptions of maternal responsibility and shame. An inductive thematic analysis revealed mixed and complex opinions regarding maternal responsibility, with themes highlighting the nature and etiology of addiction, the mother’s role in prevention and recovery, societal tendencies to parent blame, and the detrimental effects of shame and stigma. The current findings highlight the need to challenge public beliefs regarding SUD to reduce parental blame and stigmatization.