Abstract
Disturbed or impoverished relationships have been identified as a predominant feature of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). Recently, the concept of co-dependency has been advanced to depict the interpersonal difficulties of these individuals, but lacks definitional rigor. The notion that childhood experiences with parents are 'carried forward' to affect attitudes and behaviors relevant to later intimate relationships is also consistent with attachment theory. This study examined the patterns of attachment of ACOAs as compared to adult children of non alcoholics (ACONAs). A cross-sectional sample of 203 individuals attending either a short term hospital based outpatient psychiatric program or a community based alcoholism treatment program was included in this study. Results supported the hypothesis that female ACOAs had a distinctive dysfunctional attachment profile. There were no significant differences in the attachment styles of male ACOAs as compared to ACONAs, or male substance abusers as compared to non-abusers.
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