Factors Influencing Resilience of Adult Children of Alcoholics among College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the resilience of adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) who are college students, and examine factors contributing to their resilience. A total of 459 college students from a university in Incheon, participated in this study. Data were collected between April 6 to 30, 2010 using the Korean version of the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST-K), CAGE, Social Support, Self-Esteem, Family Adaptability and Cohesion, and Resilience measurements. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. Overall, ACOA group showed lower scores of resilience, social support, self-esteem and family adaptability and cohesion compared to non-ACOA group. Resilience among the ACOA group showed significant relationships with self-esteem (r=.53, p<.001), social support (r=.43, p<.001), and family adaptability and cohesion (r=.25, p<.013). Multiple regression analysis showed that 45% of the variance for resilience in the ACOA group was accounted for by age, gender, social support, self-esteem, and religion. The results of the study show that self-esteem and social support are important determinants of resilience in ACOA, thus it is recommend that further resilience training programs for ACOA be developed to enhance their social support and self-esteem, and ultimately to increase their resilience.