Effectiveness of a Psychosocial Intervention on Perceived Stress and Depression among Children of Alcoholic Parents

Abstract

Background: Every child has a basic need and it is the responsibility of the parents to give them what they need. Everyone wants to be a good parent, but not everyone has mastered the art of good parenting. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Psychosocial Intervention on Perceived Stress and Depression among Children of Alcoholic Parents studying at selected high schools of Bagalkot. Methodology: this was a randomized controlled trial with pre-test post-test control group design. A simple random sample of 4 high schools of Bagalkot out of 10 schools was selected. Then two schools were selected as experimental schools and two were selected as control schools by using lottery method. Children of alcoholics were identified by using the CAST (Children of Alcoholics Screening Test), socio demographic information of Children of Alcoholic was gathered using structured socio-demographic profile and Perceived Stress & Depression were assessed using Cohen’s Perceived stress scale & Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale for Children (CES-DC) respectively. Data were analyzed in terms of objectives of the study. Findings: Result indicates that most of the children of alcoholic of both experiment group (60%) and control group (63.33%) were moderately stressed and most of the children of alcoholic of both experimental group (56.67%) and control group (63.33%) were significantly depressed. A statistically significant difference was found between post test perceived stress score of experimental group and control group subjects [t=8.958,p<0.05]. Similarly, there was a statistically significant difference found between post test depression scores of experimental group & control group subjects [t=6,p<0.05]. No significant association was found between pre test perceived stress scores with their selected socio-demographic variables of children of alcoholic of both experimental & control group. There was a significant association between pre test depression with only family monthly income (χ2=7.847,p<0.05). Conclusion: the findings of the study concluded that the children of alcoholics had perceived stress & depression. The implementation of Psychosocial Intervention to experimental group has decreased their perceived stress & depression effectively as compared to control group. Keywords: Children of Alcoholic parents, Perceived Stress, Depression, Effectiveness, Psychosocial Intervention and Socio-demographic variables.