One in ten U.S. children live with parent with alcoholic use disorder: study

One in ten U.S. children live with parent with alcoholic use disorder: study

7.5 million U.S. children, about 10.5 percent of the country's under-18 population, lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year, according to a new study published on Thursday.

Of these children, about 6.1 million lived with two parents-- with either one or both parents experiencing an alcohol use disorder. The remaining 1.4 million lived in a single-parent house, according to the study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Of the 1.4 million children who lived in a single-parent home where the parent has an alcoholic problem, 1.1 million lived with a single mother, the study shows.

The study was done in conjunction with Children of Alcoholics Week, which falls on Feb. 12-18.

"The enormity of this public health problem goes well beyond these tragic numbers as studies have shown that the children of parents with untreated alcohol disorders are at far greater risk for developing alcohol and other problems later in their lives," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde.

The study is based on data analyzed from SAMHSA's 2005-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet