Citation

Famularo R, Spivak G, Bunshaft D, Berkson J. Bull. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 1988; 16(3): 217-223.

Affiliation

Boston Juvenile Court, MA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3179500

Abstract

The authors discuss the advisability of juvenile courts requiring urine testing for parents who severely maltreat (abuse and/or neglect) their children. While urine testing for substance abuse is not sufficient to ensure adequate treatment, it is important as part of the overall substance abuse treatment in a selected group of parents. An objective of this article is to offer specific urine testing guidelines in the context of child maltreatment cases in which the court considers removing children from parental custody to state custody. Although potentially useful, urinalysis to detect abused substances has limitations and is appropriate only in well-defined situations. Effective treatment of the substance-abusing, child-maltreating parent must be multimodal, with treatment of substance abuse as the first and most important step.

Language: en