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Temporary parental separation at birth and substance use disorder in adulthood

A long-term follow-up of the Finnish Christmas Seal Home Children

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Abstract

Background

Adversities in the early mother-infant relation pose a hypothetical risk for addiction. We studied the association between very early separation and later development of substance use disorder.

Method

A follow-up study was performed of subjects temporarily isolated from their family immediately after birth to adequate nursing homes in order to protect them against morbidity and mortality for tuberculosis. The average separation time was 7 months. The index cohort consisted of 3,020 subjects born in 1945–1965. For every index subject, two reference subjects were matched for sex, year of birth and place of birth. We were able to obtain the SES of the family of origin as recorded in 1971 from Statistics Finland. Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to identify subjects with substance use disorder arising from childhood to middle age, between January 1,1971 and December 31, 1998.

Results

The 28-year cumulative incidence of alcohol use disorders was 4.2% in the index cohort and 3.1% in the reference cohort (rate ratio, RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.8). The incidences of hospital-treated drug abuse or dependence were 0.6% and 0.2% (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.1), respectively. The differences in socioeconomic status of the family of origin did not explain the differences found.

Conclusions

Substance use disorders were more prevalent among subjects temporarily separated at birth from their mothers because of tuberculosis in the family than in the reference cohort. While risks experienced during pregnancy, delivery and childhood are alternative explanations, this result suggests that very early temporal separation from the mother at birth may have had unfavourable but modest effects on later psychological development, including vulnerability to addiction.

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Acknowledgement

This study has been supported by grants from, the Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation, the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, Finnish Alcohol Research Institute and the Finnish Lung Health Association. We also thank the Department of Paediatrics of the University of Oulu for the implementation of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychiatry, University and University Hospital of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Juha Veijola MD, PhD, Matti Isohanni MD, PhD, Helinä Hakko PhD, Marianne Haapea MSc & Pirjo Mäki MD, PhD

  2. Academy of Finland, Helsinki, Finland

    Juha Veijola MD, PhD

  3. Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    Esa Läärä MSc

  4. Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Matti Joukamaa MD, PhD

  5. Dept. of Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    Matti Joukamaa MD, PhD

  6. Dept. of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Sami Pirkola MD, PhD

  7. Health and Social Services Division, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland

    Sami Pirkola MD, PhD

  8. Muurola Hospital, Hospital district of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland

    Pirjo Mäki MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Juha Veijola MD, PhD
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  2. Esa Läärä MSc
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  3. Matti Joukamaa MD, PhD
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  4. Matti Isohanni MD, PhD
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  7. Sami Pirkola MD, PhD
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  8. Pirjo Mäki MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Juha Veijola MD, PhD.

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Veijola, J., Läärä, E., Joukamaa, M. et al. Temporary parental separation at birth and substance use disorder in adulthood. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 11–17 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0268-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0268-y

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