Alcohol-dependent Parents Research Articles

Behind Closed Doors: The Hidden Realities of Indian Children Living With Alcohol-Dependent Parents.

The negative impact of Paternal Alcohol Use Disorder (PAUD) on children's psychosocial well-being is an overlooked issue that warrants more global research attention. Alcohol dependence is often seen as a hidden problem with subtle yet harmful effects, especially on the children of those with alcohol dependence. These children often remain invisible due to their loyalty and unwillingness to disclose their dysfunctional family situation. However, in the Indian context, these invisible children receive limited and insufficient support. This study aims to narrate the profound experiences of children growing up with fathers with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), highlighting the challenges of invisibility and the support they receive within the Indian cultural context. The study used a qualitative narrative research design, with a panel of child psychology experts selecting 12 participants aged 11-13 years. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and a semi-structured interview guide. The data collected were transcribed from the local language into English and analyzed using narrative thematic analysis. The study revealed how PAUD negatively influences children's experiences and societal norms surrounding family honour and reputation. It also sheds light on the children's reluctance to seek help due to stigmatization, the circumstances that compel them to disclose their problems, and the support they receive to cope with these challenges. This study highlights the critical need for culturally specific interventions and support mechanisms in India to address the psychosocial challenges faced by children, emphasizing the importance of societal acknowledgment and strategic interventions to alleviate the detrimental impact of parental AUD on child well-being.

Vulnerable at rest? A resting-state EEG study and psychosocial factors of young adult offspring of alcohol-dependent parents

BackgroundOffspring of parents with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are more susceptible to developing AUD, with an estimated heritability of around 50%. Vulnerability to AUD in first-degree relatives is influenced by biological factors, such as spontaneous brain activity, and high-risk psychosocial characteristics. However, existing resting-state EEG studies in AUD offspring have shown inconsistent findings regarding theta, alpha, and beta band frequencies. Additionally, research consistently demonstrates an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing disorders, self-regulation difficulties, and interpersonal issues among AUD offspring. MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the absolute power of theta, alpha, and beta frequencies in young adult offspring with a family history of AUD compared to individuals without family history. The psychosocial profiles of the offspring were also examined in relation to individuals without a family history of AUD. Furthermore, the study sought to explore the potential association between differences in frequency bands and psychosocial variables. Resting-state EEG recordings were obtained from 31 young adult healthy offspring of alcohol-dependent individuals and 43 participants with no family history of AUD (age range: 16–25 years). Participants also completed self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety and depressive symptoms, impulsivity, emotion regulation, and social involvement. ResultsThe results revealed no significant differences in spontaneous brain activity between the offspring and participants without a family history of AUD. However, in terms of psychosocial factors, the offspring exhibited significantly lower social involvement than the control group. ConclusionsThis study does not provide evidence suggesting vulnerability in offspring based on differences in spontaneous brain activity. Moreover, this investigation highlights the importance of interventions aimed at enhancing social connections in offspring. Such interventions can not only reduce the risk of developing AUD, given its strong association with increased feelings of loneliness but also improve the overall well-being of the offspring.

Emotional Processing and Maltreatment During Childhood as Factors of Vulnerability to Alcohol Abuse in Young Adults

AbstractDifferent studies suggest a strong association between childhood abuse and alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The modulation of the startle response has been used to assess emotional processing in AUDs. The main objective of the study was to investigate the startle reflex responses to different stimuli in young adults with varying types of childhood abuse in comparison with a control group according to their current alcohol consumption and the presence of a parent with alcohol dependence or not. A clinical sample of 606 adolescents, divided into five groups: no abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, were assessed on their pattern of alcohol consumption and their family history of alcoholism. The proportion of participants with at least one alcohol-dependent parent was higher in all types of abuse. The proportion of heavy drinkers and alcohol-dependent participants was higher in the groups with physical neglect and sexual abuse. Heavy drinkers and alcohol dependents showed a lower startle reflex response to emotional pictures, especially alcohol-related ones. Adolescents exposed to physical and sexual abuse during childhood showed a mitigated startle response to appetitive and alcohol-related pictures. The results of this exploratory study reveal that childhood maltreatment modulates emotional processing to alcohol-related stimuli during adolescence. The evaluation of these patients’ startle response could be considered a prognostic biomarker for establishing personalized preventive strategies during the adolescent stage to avoid, to a large extent, future problems derived from alcohol consumption.

A Study to Assess the Problems of the Adolescent Children with Alcohol Dependent Parents in selected Deaddiction Centers of Moradabad, U.p.

Background: The abuse of drugs and alcohol by parents seem to create considerable problems for most young people.This derives from the fact that adolescents are unable to provide consistent practical or emotional care for themselves,while the effects of the abuse of alcohol by parents brings more anxiety, social stigma, violence and the absence of parentsfrom home. 1 Children of alcoholism are at higher risk population due to member of physical emotional and behaviorproblems.2Objectives1: To Assess problems of the adolescents with alcohol dependent parents using structured questionnaire.2. Tofind the association problems of the adolescent with the socio- demographic variables of adolescents.Results: The analysis revealed that there is no significant association established with the selected socio-demographicvariables except psychological problems with age and academic adjustment with type of family at p <0.05 level ofsignificance.Conclusion: The present study concludes that the focus of the health practitioners should be directed towards primaryprevention and early prevention. Nursing personnel, who comes in closer contact with the children of alcoholic fathers,can identify the problems of these children and teach on techniques in coping with these situation at and outside. Childrenof alcoholics should be helped by enhancing self esteem providing information about alcohol, and improving emotionaland problem focused coping abilities, eventually enhancing their mental health.

Alkoholfüggő szülők gyerekeinek gyermekkori élethelyzete székelyföldi példák tükrében

"In this paper, I present the results of my examination thesis prepared as part of my postgraduate Spiritual counseling focuses on values program. The purpose of the examination is is to analyze the childhood experiences of children with alcohol-dependent parents compared to other children (whose parents are not alcohol-dependent) and to present the differences of the life situations, in the light of examples from Szeklerland. Based on the results of personal interviews conducted among group leaders in the Szeklerland region in 2018, an important question is the followig: is there a significant difference between the childhood of alcohol-dependent parents and the one of children with non-dependent parents? Furthermore, have children with alcohol-dependent parents experienced traumas in their childhood that affected their health? Another important question was: calculating with the consequences of childhood influences, is it necessarily inevitable that the children of alcohol- dependent parents will become alcohol-dependent themselves? In this paper, I focus on answering these questions, but this is preceded by a brief description of the relevant literature and research methodology. "

"I Wish I Had Help Earlier. We Could Have Been Happier Sooner." Overcoming the Bystander Effect in the Care for Alcohol-Dependent Parents.

Parental alcohol dependency is associated with risks for the well-being of their children. However, guiding these families to support is often complicated. We interviewed 10 alcohol dependent parents, and held 3 focus group interviews with child welfare social workers, and alcohol and other drug workers. We identified a reluctance to act among professional and non-professional bystanders. Family members, neighbours, teachers, and general practitioners are often aware of parental drinking problems, but are reluctant to discuss them with the parents or to alert services designed to support families. The aim of this paper is to share the experiences of parents and show that parents appreciate interventions if done in a certain manner. Although parents were reluctant to discuss their drinking problem, they considered these problems as symptoms of underlying severe distress. They were highly motivated to get help for these underlying problems and wondered why they were not questioned about their distress by those around them. The silence of others reinforced pre-existing feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. In this paper we analyse other's hesitation to intervene as a form of the bystander effect, and make suggestions on how this bystander effect can be overcome.

A retrospective assessment of parental attitudes in alcohol dependent and non-dependent groups

Aim: The aim of the studies was to verify whether an alcohol-dependent group differs in terms of retrospectively assessed parental attitudes from a non-dependent group (study 1) as well as whether there are differences between individuals with alcohol dependence having or not having an addicted parent in terms of the retrospectively assessed parental attitudes (study 2). Materials and methods: 121 individuals with alcohol dependence and 121 people with no dependence took part in study 1 (in both groups there were 37 women and 84 men). 221 individuals with alcohol dependence (55 women and 166 men) participated in study 2. Mieczysław Plopa’s Questionnaire of Retrospective Assessment of Parental Attitudes (KPR-Roc) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) were used in the studies. Results: The outcome of study 1 proved that the individuals with alcohol dependence score higher in comparison with those non-dependent in terms of variables Mother Protectiveness, Father Demanding and Father Inconsequence and score lower for variables Father Acceptance/Rejection and Father Autonomy. The results of study 2 show that alcohol-dependent women with a family history of alcohol addiction tended to score lower for variables Mother Acceptance/Rejection, Father Acceptance/Rejection, Father Autonomy and Father Protectiveness in comparison with the non-dependent women with no family history of alcohol addiction. Whereas men addicted to alcohol with a family history of alcohol addiction score higher for the variable Father Acceptance/Rejection and higher concerning variables Father Demanding and Father Inconsequence in comparison with the addicted male group with no family history of alcohol addiction. Conclusion: Alcohol-dependent individuals have a tendency to assess more adversely the father’s attitude in comparison with the non-dependent group. Having an alcohol-dependent parent among individuals with alcohol dependence differentiates mainly the retrospective assessment of the father.

Medical rehabilitation of patients with alcohol dependency at risk of parental rights deprivation

To study the efficacy of medical rehabilitation outpatient program 'Point of Soberness' with the use of prolonged injectable naltrexone for alcohol dependent parents of minor children. One hundred and seventeen patients with severe disease form without remissions were enrolled in the study. All patients were parents at risk of deprivation of parental rights. A complex approach, used during the rehabilitation, helped 87% of patients to maintain social and professional status and finish treatment program. More than 95% of patients retained their parental rights. The 'Point of Soberness' program allows achievement of remission of alcohol dependence and retaining parental rights.

Living with appending a scarlet letter: The lifelong suffering of children of alcoholics in South Korea

ABSTRACTChildren of alcoholics (COAs) are those who have grown up with parental alcoholism. The purpose of this study was to understand the lives of Korean COAs within a Korean cultural context, influenced by Confucianism. Prior literature has extensively reported about the adverse life experiences of COAs related to their alcohol dependent parents. Indeed, most of these studies assume the U.S.- or Western-centric perspective. However, in order to provide culture-specific care, health professionals who provide care for diverse ethnic families have to understand the cultural influences on the families which have an ill family member. Data were collected from 20 Korean adult children through semi-structured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and fully transcribed. Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. The lives of Korean COAs were described with four themes, namely: “Losing family,” “Life with holding a bomb,” “My life ruined,” and “Being bound.” Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated how cultural components could shape individual’s life experiences in a family having an alcohol dependent family member. This study would be helpful for health professionals to deeply understand the alcoholic family members within a specific cultural background as well as to build a cultural-specific care-plans for them.

Effect of paternal alcohol use on mother, child and adolescent health

Background: Children and spouses of alcohol-dependent parents are at higher risk of developing substance abuse, emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders at all stages of development leading into adulthood. Studies on the impact of alcohol use in children and spouse have been poorly studied. Aims: The aim of this study is to study the general health of the wife, children and adolescents of a family with paternal alcohol use and to assess the personal, family, social, occupational and educational environment of families with paternal alcohol use. Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study in the inpatient unit of the Department of Psychiatry, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute. Participants were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria and informed consent was obtained for all participants. International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnosis was used to diagnose alcohol dependence in the father. Sociodemographic proforma, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) version were used to collect clinical data of the children and spouse. SPSS version 13 was used to analyze descriptive statistics and mean scores on the GHQ and WHOQOL-BREF scale. Results: Mean GHQ scores were highest in spouses (32.92), children between 12–15 years (20.34) and 16–20 years (25.01) years age group. QOL scores were low among spouses and children across all age groups. Conclusions: Physical, psychological health, well-being and QOL are significantly impacted in families where the father is alcohol dependent. Spouses were more severely affected than children.

Pozytywna i negatywna adaptacja dzieci i młodzieży rodziców uzależnionych od alkoholu

IntroductionChildren of parents with alcohol related problems have been a focus of study for clinical psychologists for many years. This is due, on the one hand, to the unfortunately high incidence of alcoholism in modern society, and on the other, to the notably specific functioning of those families that suffer from alcohol problems. Today, we know that the offspring of alcohol dependent parents are typically characterised by an increased susceptibility to a variety of problems. However, it must be stressed that some children from family with alcoholism do develop properly, going on to lead a satisfactory life free from mental disorders or issues. The aim of the presentation was to assess the vulnerable children of parents with alcoholism and analyse the odds ratio (OR) for developing positive adaptation. Material and methodsThe total number of participants was 540 respondents, aged 9–20 in two comparison groups. ResultsChildren of alcoholics are a heterogenic population that, despite increased susceptibility to disorders observed in children, coped well with the requirements of life and showed a low level of symptoms of externalisation and internalisation. ConclusionsAppropriate intervention for children from alcoholic families can reduce the risk of mental disorders and negative outcomes.

Dialogue between Midwives and Parents-to-Be about Alcohol, from a Life Cycle Perspective—An Intervention Study

The objective was to investigate the use of alcohol during pregnancy among parents-to-be and to develop and evaluate a method for a dialogue about alcohol from a life cycle perspective. The study was a quasi-experiment. An intervention group (IG) with 238 couples and a comparison group (CG) with 271 couples participated. All of the participants were recruited at public antenatal care clinics (ANC) in Sweden. At registration, the midwife had a dialogue about alcohol with the IG, and the intervention was evaluated using questionnaires in pregnancy weeks 12 and 33. Alcohol consumption, alcoholism in the family, social support, and source of information were measured. More than 91% of all pregnant women reported that they never drank alcohol either at registration or late in pregnancy, with no difference between the intervention group and the comparison group. Their male partners had a different pattern; 6% abstained from alcohol and about half of them drank alcohol two to four times a month. Nine percent of the participants had experienced an alcohol-dependent parent and 35% of the couples reported alcoholism in either of their families. Most women (92%) stated that the partner’s support to give up alcohol was important. After the intervention, more women in the IG were offered alcohol-free alternatives. About 40% of the partners had reduced their alcohol consumption; they received less social support for alcohol reduction than the pregnant women. A majority, 68%, of the women in the IG stated ANC as the most important source of information about alcohol and pregnancy, compared to 53% in the CG (p < 0.001). After the intervention, a higher proportion of women in the IG were offered alcohol-free alternatives and ANC became the most important source of information about alcohol. Involving the partner in counseling about alcohol-restriction during pregnancy may be a useful health promotion strategy.

Psychological birth – the separation-individuation process among female Adult Children of Alcoholics

IntroductionThe research aims to answer the following question: What are the dynamics of the separation-individuation process (according to Margaret Mahler's theory) in women who are Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoA) in comparison to women who did not experience a parent's alcoholism in their childhood. The authors state that children of alcohol-dependent parents may experience relational traumas and this may inhibit the separation-individuation process. The study also seeks to answer whether there are relations between the severity of the difficulties in the area of separation-individuation and parentification (role reversal) in the past and in the present parentification of ACoA women. MethodResearch was conducted on 110 women (55 from an experimental group and 55 from a control group). The following tools were used to measure the variables: Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) by Jones and Pilat and the PATHSEP questionnaire by Lapsley for estimating the dynamics of the separation-individuation process. A questionnaire FRS-A (Filial Responsibility Scale for Adults) by Jurkovic and Thirkield to study levels of parentification was also used. ResultsThe results of the study have shown that distortions in the separation-individuation process occur more often in women with the ACoA syndrome compared to women who did not grow up in alcoholic families. In the ACoA group the sense of injustice associated with parentification in the past was a mediator of the relation between difficulties in the separation-individuation process and current sense of injustice. Discussion and conclusionsThe analysis of the results of this study serves as a valuable guide for work with women who experienced a parent's alcoholism in their childhood. It seems relevant that educational and therapeutic work with these women should include the component of regaining their intrapsychic and interpersonal individuality.

Theory of mind among young adult children from alcoholic families.

Given the evidence that several cognitive and emotional functions are impaired in adult alcohol-dependent patients and the possibility that some of these deficits are transmitted to their children, the objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the perception of complex mental states would be reduced in young adults from families with a positive family history of alcohol dependence. It was also anticipated that social-perceptual deficits would confer unique predictive ability beyond that shared with other cognitive risk factors for alcohol dependence and/or substance use risk. Data from 301 youth ages 18-21 years, recruited from an ongoing community longitudinal study of alcoholic and matched control families, were analyzed. Family history of alcohol dependence as well as alcohol-dependence diagnosis in the youth was based on diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. A substance use risk factor measured early problem alcohol/other drug use. The perception of mental states was measured with the computerized version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Children of alcohol-dependent parents did not show impairment in the mental states perception task, nor did social perception skills predict alcohol dependence in the youth. Correlational analysis performed between RMET and the substance use risk factor showed no significant association between the variables. The study results do not confirm the hypothesis that behaviorally measured social perception impairment is more prevalent in the children of alcohol-dependent parents. In addition, social-perceptual deficits were not a unique marker of either alcohol dependence or high risk for alcohol dependence in this young adult sample.

EPA-1605 - The impact of family-related factors on alcohol dependence

Alcoholism is a family disease. Many studies confirm that family history of alcoholism is associated with the development of later alcohol dependence. To analyse the family's impact in the development of alcohol addiction in children grown up in these families. To create and distribute a questionnaire on family environment among group of alcoholic dependent and the control group and statistically analyse the results. The research study was based on authors' anonymous questionnaire including questions referring to family structure, parents' divorce, prevalence of alcoholism of alcoholism in the family, parents' attitude towards alcohol and parent-child relationships. The study group consisted of 125 people, 83 men and 42 women, aged from 22 to 68 participating in treatment programs for alcohol addiction. The control group consisted of 231 people, 136 men and 95 women, aged from 17 to 65, with no history of alcoholism. The study group participants stated less frequently that they had been raised by both parents (78% vs. 87%;p<0.05). In this group one of the parents significantly more frequently abused alcohol (43% vs. 19%; p<0.05) or both parents abused alcohol (15% vs. 1%;p<0.05). The participants claimed to be more often punished for their failures, abused physically/verbally and could less often depend on their parents. Based on these result we concluded that patients addicted to alcohol were more often raised by a single parent, they were more likely to have alcohol-dependent parents and relationship with their parents were more often impaired.

Family Roles in Homes With Alcohol-Dependent Parents: An Evidence-Based Review

The behavioral health care field has seen attempts to understand the functioning of families in which a parent is dependent on alcohol as a set of roles into which the other family members fall. The most popular of these classifications taught in the United States includes five roles (enabler, hero, lost child, mascot, and scapegoat) that are used to conceptualize families and individuals in treatment and support group settings, as well as in popular self-help literature. Attempts to operationalize and measure these roles have, however, been fraught with difficulties. The resulting research base has seen conflicting evidence for the support of such roles, as well as little work on diverse families. The evidence against such well-defined family roles, the questions surrounding their development, and the difficulties of applying such constructs in real-life situations (with numerous confounding factors and unknown associated conditions) may indicate that their clinical utility does not win out over the problems inherent with this manner of classification.

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy for At-risk Korean Male Adolescents

This study examined the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aimed at enhancing the resilience of high-risk adolescents with alcohol-dependent parents in Suwon, South Korea. The study used a randomized control group pretest and posttest design. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of CBT, and the scores on resilience increased significantly after the intervention, whereas the scores of self-concept and depression did not change. In the control group, none of the scores of outcome variables changed significantly after the intervention period. The results indicate that the developed CBT program might be effective for improving the resilience of adolescents with alcohol-dependent parents.

Drug Abuse by Adolescents: General Considerations

1. Ximena Sanchez-Samper, MD* 2. John R. Knight, MD* 1. *Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Mass After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Discuss current trends in adolescent substance use and the specific substances used most commonly among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. 2. Identify risk and protective factors, including genetic and environmental correlates, for the initiation of substance use in adolescents. 3. Discuss the most common concomitant mental health disorders and how they can affect the course of diagnosis and treatment for substance abuse. 4. Delineate the variety of treatment options available. 5. Describe the role of the pediatrician in educating patients and families on substance abuse prevention; performing screening and initial assessments; and providing support, brief counseling, or referrals for in-depth treatment. Adolescence is a time of physical, emotional, and psychological maturation as well as a period of searching for independence and experimentation. One area of experimentation associated with adolescence is substance use. (1) Although many adolescents experiment with drugs and alcohol from time to time without enduring problems, those who develop the disorders of substance abuse and dependence make substance use a major public health concern. The Monitoring the Future Study (MTFS) is a nationwide survey measuring smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use among nearly 50,000 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in more than 400 secondary schools in the United States each year. (2)(3) According to the 2006 overview of findings from the MTFS, approximately one fifth (21%) of today's 8th graders, more than one third (36%) of 10th graders, and nearly half (48%) of all 12th graders reported using an illicit drug at least once during their lifetimes. Despite a minimum legal age requirement to purchase alcohol, 6% of 8th graders, 19% of the 10th graders, and 30% of the 12th graders self-reported drunkenness during the month prior to being interviewed. (2)(3) Among the problems experienced by adolescents who use alcohol and drugs are …

ATTENTIONAL BIAS FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED INFORMATION IN ADOLESCENTS WITH ALCOHOL-DEPENDENT PARENTS

to assess the attentional bias for alcohol-related information in adolescents with (n = 15), and without (n = 15), a parental history of alcohol dependence. participants completed questionnaires assessing depression, weekly alcohol consumption, anxiety, and concerns about alcohol consumption and undertook subliminal and supraliminal computerized Stroop tasks using colour-words, alcohol-related words, and control words. adolescents with alcohol-dependent parents showed supraliminal interference for alcohol-related words. The magnitude of this interference was correlated with higher trait and state anxiety, and lower levels of weekly alcohol consumption. No interference was found on the subliminal alcohol Stroop task. while it is likely that this attentional bias for alcohol-related cues reflects the concerns regarding parental drinking, it is also possible that this might underlie the increased risk of future alcohol dependence in the children of alcohol-dependent parents.

Mental Health Problems in Adolescent Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents: Epidemiologic Research with a Nationally Representative Sample

ABSTRACT In this study, with an epidemiologic sample of national scope, we seek confirmatory evidence about specific mental health problems of adolescent children living with actively alcohol dependent parents (AD+ children) as compared to control children whose parents are not alcohol dependent (AD− children). Treatment sample research leads us to expect the most prominent AD+/AD− differences with respect to externalizing symptoms. Data for this study were from the 1995 and 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), with the sample and field research staff ‘blinded’ to the study's hypothesis. Within the NHSDA national sample, a total of 1,729 parent-child pairs living in the same household were assessed. Youths were asked to complete an adapted version of Achenbach's Youth Self-Report. Independently, the parent was asked about his or her alcohol problems using an adapted version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the AD+ children (n = 79) to have higher delinquency (p< .001) and aggressive behavior scores (p< .05) as compared to AD- children (n = 1,650). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MAN COVA), with five sociodemographic characteristics as covariates, confirmed the presence of independent delinquency excesses (but not independent aggressive behavior excesses) among children living with a parent with alcohol problems (F = 9.23, df = 1, 1659, p< .01). The evidence of this study favors the hypothesis that adolescent children living with an alcohol dependent parent have more delinquency problems than other adolescents. We did not find similar patterns of association for the internalizing symptoms, nor for aggression, once delinquency was held constant.