Parenting self-efficacy and empowerment among expectant mothers with substance use disorders

Objective: to describe parenting self-efficacy and family empowerment among expectant mothers with substance use disorders. Design: the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants: participants were 71 pregnant women with substance use disorders entering a gender-specific, substance use disorder, residential treatment facility. Measurements: measurement tools included: the demographic data form, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Addiction Severity Index, and the Family Empowerment Scale. Findings: women in their third trimester reported statistically significant higher levels of both parenting self-efficacy and family empowerment than women in their first trimester. Key conclusions: interventions that promote parenting self-efficacy and family empowerment need to target women in their first trimester. Implications for practice: midwives with specialized training in substance abuse disorders are in a unique position to bolster expectant mothers' parenting capabilities during the addiction recovery process.