Academic Outcomes in Children of Parents with Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review

Parental substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major public health concern with substantial intergenerational consequences. While children exposed to parental alcohol and drug misuse are known to be at elevated risk for mental health, behavioral, and social difficulties, comparatively less attention has been directed toward academic functioning and educational attainment. Education is a critical determinant of long-term socioeconomic and health outcomes, and disruptions in parental functioning due to substance use may impair children’s cognitive development, school engagement, and educational progress. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize empirical evidence on academic outcomes in children and adolescents exposed to parental substance use disorders. The review follows a predefined PECO framework: children and adolescents (Population) exposed to parental substance use disorders (Exposure), compared with children without such exposure (Comparator), with outcomes including grades, GPA, standardized test scores, educational attainment, grade repetition, truancy, and school engagement (Outcomes). A systematic literature search will be conducted in PubMed and PsycINFO from January 2005 through January 2026 using controlled vocabulary and free-text terms related to parental substance use and academic outcomes. Searches will be limited to human studies and English language publications. Eligible studies will include quantitative observational designs (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional) that assess at least one academic or educational outcome in relation to parental substance use exposure. Titles and abstracts will be screened for eligibility, followed by full-text review of potentially relevant articles using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data will be extracted on study design, population characteristics, exposure definition, academic outcomes, effect sizes, covariates, and key findings using a standardized extraction form. Risk of bias will be assessed using a domain-based framework evaluating selection bias, exposure measurement, outcome measurement, confounding control, and missing data. Due to anticipated heterogeneity in exposure definitions and academic outcome measures, a narrative synthesis will be conducted rather than a quantitative meta-analysis. Findings will be summarized across study designs and exposure types to characterize the consistency, magnitude, and robustness of associations between parental substance use and academic outcomes. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current evidence on educational functioning in children affected by parental substance use disorders. The expected outcomes include identification of consistent academic disadvantages associated with parental substance use exposure, clarification of the strength and direction of observed associations, and highlighting of gaps in the existing literature. The results are intended to inform clinical practice, educational policy, and future research by emphasizing education as a key pathway through which parental substance use may shape long-term life trajectories.