Children of Alcohol and Drug Addicted Parents: Risks, Needs, and Results of a Selective Prevention Study.

Abstract

Children of alcohol and drug addicted parents are the most endagered group for addictive problems in later life. They also have a higher risk for most mental health problems. There are several relevant variables incresing or decreasing the risk of these children. After giving an introduction in the state of the art concerning the research on etiology and prevention for children of addictes parents, the results of a RCT for 8 to 12 years old children of addicted parents will be presented. The results refer to the evaluation of a selective treatment program (9 child oriented and 2 parent oriented modules) to improve the emotional, social, and cogntive competences of 231 children. The results of a 6-month follow-up study show that the children of the experimental group (alcohol and drug specific) had better knowledgs, emotional self regulation, and mental health than those of an unspecific (no alcohol and drug specificity) control group. Implications for further research and prevention planning are being discussed.