Young Adult Children Of Alcoholics Research Articles

A study of resilience among young adult children of alcoholics in Southern India

Young Adult Children of Alcoholics (YACOA) are vulnerable to emotional psychopathology. However, some of them remain healthy and lead a productive life despite growing up in adverse circumstances. The present study aims at understanding the relationship between resilience and positive psychological factors among those healthy YACOA. Participants who were identified as YACOA were enrolled from both urban and rural colleges in Karnataka (India). Among them, those who did not report emotional psychopathology were assessed on measures of Resilience, socio-cultural factors (family support, community support, and participation in religious rituals), Self-efficacy and psychological well-being. They were divided into high and low resilience groups based on the median scores. YACOA with high resilience had a significant positive association with cultural factors of resilience whereas YACOA with low resilience had significant positive association with self-efficacy and sub-categories of psychological wellbeing. Binary Logistic Regression analysis found that socio-cultural factors were found to be associated with high resilience among YACOA. This study has recognized the significance of socio-cultural factors and self-acceptance in enhancing resilience among healthy YACOA. These findings offer insights into the interventions for the wellbeing of the YACOA.

The Influence of Parental Alcoholism on Parent–Adolescent Relationships From Adolescence Into Emerging Adulthood: A Qualitative Inquiry

Exposure to parental alcoholism can inhibit a child’s ability to become a successfully functioning young adult. Based on qualitative interviews, this study provides a deeper understanding of how those parent–adolescent relationships are associated with risky internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This qualitative study explores the lives of 13 young adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and provides a unique perspective through an adaptive developmental approach by evaluating emerging adults who were ACOAs and successfully functioning. Compelling findings emerged with respect to how young adults define alcoholism and being a child of alcoholism and how the parent–adolescent relationship adapts in the unstable environment associated with family alcoholism. Salient findings revealed that when emotional and physical detachment from a parent’s alcoholic behaviors in addition to an acceptance that those behaviors are not the adolescent’s responsibility, individuals gained better control of their environment aiding them in becoming healthy, functioning young adults.

Alexithymia, Impulsivity, and Reward Sensitivity in Young Adult University Student Children of Alcoholics

Background and Objectives: Personality traits previously known as risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD) were assessed in 29 young adult children of alcoholics (COAs) and 68 young adult children of nonalcoholics (non-COAs). Male and female university students (Mage = 22.11 years) completed questions pertaining to demographics and alcohol use, and the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test; Toronto Alexithymia Scale; Barratt Impulsiveness Scale; Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire; and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results: Results indicated that personality traits of alexithymia, reward sensitivity, and impulsivity, as well as negative moods, were significantly elevated in COAs compared to non-COAs, independent of current alcohol consumption and drinking history. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with familial transmission of AUD-associated personality traits in COAs, presumably via influences of genetics and/or familial environment.

Influence of socio-cultural factors on the emotional problems among college going young-adult children of parents with alcoholism: A study from South India.

Young-adult children of parents with alcoholism are vulnerable to anxiety and depression. We studied the prevalence of emotional psychopathology and examined the mediating role of environmental factors (family support, community support and participation in religious rituals) in relation to psychopathology. College students (N = 1555), aged 18-24 years, from urban and rural domicile were screened on Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) and those who were positive were assessed for emotional psychopathology on Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Young-adult children of alcoholics with emotional psychopathology were compared with those without emotional psychopathology on demographic characteristics, quality of life, and a questionnaire which measured the role of socio-cultural factors. 33% (N = 512) of 1555 participants screened were found to be Young-adult children of alcoholics. Among them, 35% (N = 181) reported experiencing emotional psychopathology. Participants with high emotional psychopathology reported receiving less support from the family (8.44 ± 1.19 vs 9.57 ± 1.26, p = 0.003), community (6.97 ± 1.08 vs 8.88 ± 1.19, p = 0.001); they participated less in religious rituals (5 ± 0.18 vs 6.56 ± 0.41, p = 0.008) compared to those without psychopathology. Quality of life was significantly lower among Young-adult children of alcoholics with emotional psychopathology. A considerable proportion of Young-adult children of alcoholics reported emotional psychopathology and their quality of life was poor. The modifiable socio-cultural factors such as family, community support and participation in religious rituals were associated with emotional psychopathology. A better utilization of these factors may mitigate the burden of emotional psychopathology and improve quality of life in this vulnerable group.

Suicide behavior in parents with alcohol abuse problems and suicide behavior in their offspring—Adult offspring and counselor perspectives

Background: Suicide behavior is relatively common in families with alcohol problems. Aims: This study explores associations between suicide behavior in parents with alcohol abuse problems and suicide behavior in their offspring. It aims to expand our understanding of the varied experiences of treatment-seeking young adults who grew up in families with alcohol problems. Methods: 344 young adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) entering a Danish center for ACA counseling were surveyed about their childhood experiences regarding their own and their parents’ attempted, threatened and completed suicide behavior. Results: Parental suicide behavior was strongly associated with parental drinking; 46% of ACAs reported parental threatened, attempted or completed suicide behavior during their childhood, 13% of ACAs reported threatening suicide themselves, 15% of ACAs reported attempting suicide themselves. At least 54% of ACAs who had attempted suicide had done so without previously threatening suicide. There was a significant association between ACAs whose parents had committed suicide and ACAs who had attempted suicide during their childhood. There was also a significant association between ACAs where both parents had suicide behavior and ACA childhood suicide behavior. Conclusion: The study stresses the importance of addressing and assessing the family history of suicidal behavior in ACAs seeking counseling.

Family Process as a Mediator of the Negative Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Young Adult Dating Relationships

The effects of parental alcoholism on young adult dating relationship quality (trust, intimacy, commitment, and satisfaction) were considered in the context of the mediating variable of family process (cohesion, conflict resolution, and family competence). A model was tested with a sample of 287 young adults (95 were adult children of alcoholics) that suggested that healthier family process mediates the negative effects of having an alcoholic parent on dating relationship quality. Structural equation modeling results showed that the model fit the data. Young adults from alcoholic families in which family process was less negatively affected by parental alcoholism were less likely to report lower dating relationship quality than those from families in which family process was more negatively affected by parental alcoholism. Parental divorce was directly related to lower relationship quality. Clinical implications for working with young adult children of alcoholics are discussed.

Dating Behaviors, Attitudes, and Relationships Satisfaction of Young Adult Children of Alcoholics

The dating behaviors, attitudes, and relationship satisfaction of a nonclinical sample of single young adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) (n = 172) were compared to a sample of nonACOAs (n = 771). Subjects completed measures of dating behaviors, anxiety, intimacy, trust, commitment and relationship satisfaction. ACOAs began dating at a significantly younger age and dated significantly fewer individuals than nonACOAs. They also reported significantly more dating anxiety than nonACOAs. Male ACOAs reported less commitment, intellectual intimacy, trust and relationship satisfaction than male nonACOAs. Compared to nonACOAs, female ACOAs reported no differences on these variables. The results provide some support for research suggesting that ACOAs may experience difficulties in their opposite-sex intimate relationships.

The relation of personality to alcohol abuse/dependence in a high-risk sample.

The current study had two goals. The first goal was to test the mediational role of young adult personality in the relation between parental alcoholism and young adult alcoholism. The second was to examine the associations between personality and alcohol use motives and reasons to limit drinking in order to explore possible mechanisms by which personality may influence alcohol abuse/dependence. Multilevel modeling techniques were used to analyze data obtained from a community sample of young adult children of alcoholics and demographically matched controls. Results revealed that young adult neuroticism and agreeableness each, in part, mediated the effect of parental alcoholism on young adult alcoholism. Moreover, individuals high in neuloticism reported stronger coping motives to use alcohol, individuals low in agreeableness reported stronger coping motives and weaker upbringing reasons to limit drinking, and individuals low in conscientiousness reported stronger coping and enhancement motives to use alcohol, and weaker performance reasons to limit drinking.

Marital Attitudes and Personal Readiness for Marriage of Young Adult Children of Alcoholics

Marital attitudes and perceived readiness for marriage of young adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) were investigated. Never-married young adults (N = 943) completed the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) to determine whether they were ACOAs. Other instruments were completed to measure family dysfunction, marital attitudes, and perceived readiness for marriage. ACOAs were found to be significantly more negative in their opinions and feelings about marriage than were nonACOAs. They also perceived themselves as being less ready for marriage than nonACOAs and wanted a significantly longer waiting period before marriage. These results were found even when controlling for family dysfunction and parental divorce. Implications for premarital counseling are discussed.

Do codependent traits involve more than basic dimensions of personality and psychopathology?

Despite widespread use of the term codependency, empirical evidence regarding its construct validity is generally lacking. This study analyzed the construct validity of codependency as measured by Potter-Efron and Potter-Efron's Codependency Assessment Questionnaire (CAQ). It attempted to determine the CAQ's factor structure and whether there are any unique relations between symptoms of codependency and parental alcoholism after controlling for basic dimensions of personality and psychopathology. Participants were 467 (246 male, 221 female) young adult children of alcoholics and controls who contributed complete questionnaire data at the fourth wave of a longitudinal study of factors related to alcohol use and abuse. The CAQ showed reliability and basically a one dimensional structure, and CAQ scores were significantly related to family history. Although much of this relation between family history and codependency was accounted for by neuroticism and symptoms of general psychopathology, a small, but significant, association between family history and codependency remained even after statistically controlling for personality and psychopathology. We conclude that, although there may be unique aspects of the purported codependency syndrome that are related to a family history of alcoholism, most of the relation between codependency and family history appears to be "explained" by general negative affectivity.

University students from homes with alcoholic parents: Considerations for therapy groups

Abstract Descriptive data of group members, structured group activities, and recommendations for therapy groups for young adult children of alcoholics are offered.

The Process of Coping Among Young Adult Children of Alcoholics

Children of alcoholics are often misdiagnosed or ignored because of socially acceptable coping styles. These survival coping mechanisms have been identified as specific role behaviors inhibiting normal development. These assumptions, however, have not been tested with rigorous research techniques. The purpose of this study was to describe the developing role patterns and/or coping behaviors of 30 young adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) between the ages of 18 and 28. Data were obtained primarily through in-depth interviews as well as the Jalowiec Coping Scale. Interview responses were analyzed using content analysis procedures and triangulated with questionnaire responses. The findings of this study suggest a possible developmental delay in coping strategies used by children of alcoholics although no specific ACA role behaviors were identified. Confrontive measures of coping did not develop until young adulthood and only after therapeutic intervention. Two unique methods of coping, reversed emotive and reversed confrontive, were also identified. The latter could be peculiar to this population, since it reflected many codependent behaviors.

Personality and object relational pathology in young adult children of alcoholics.

Personality and object relational pathology in young adult children of alcoholics.

Personality characteristics of children of alcoholics.

This study compared the personality characteristics of late adolescent and young adult children ofalcoholics (COAs) with those of their peers and examined the extent to which personality differencesare gender specific and are related to the gender of the alcoholic parent. Specifically, data derivedfrom an alcohol survey of young college students (N = 860) were used to examine familial alcoholismand personality characteristics, including impulsiveness, self-depreciation, lack of tension, indepen-dence/autonomy, need for social support, directiveness, sociability, and other-directedness. Al-though COA respondents were similar to their peers on most personality measures, they were morelikely to report greater self-depreciation. This difference in self-depreciation between COAs and theirpeers was greater for women than men. Women with an alcoholic father were significantly morelikely than women with an alcoholic mother to report greater self-depreciation. Male COAs ratedthemselves significantly higher on autonomy than did their male peers, but the gender of the alcoholicparent had little effect on this variable.Concern about the effect of an alcoholic parent on his or herchildren has been frequently expressed by clinicians and by oth-ers in recent research literature. In a comprehensive review ofthe literature on children of alcoholics (COAs), Russell, Hen-derson, and Blume (1985) concluded that such children are ata particularly high risk for alcoholism and other emotional andbehavioral problems, including difficult social adjustment andsubstance abuse. They also cited studies in which COAs werefound to possess distinctive personality characteristics, includ-ing lower self-esteem and a more external locus of control. How-ever, it has also been suggested that COAs are more resilientthan previous studies have indicated (Werner, 1986).Yet, findings are limited and conclusions based on previousresearch must be qualified. First, the majority of studies onCOAs have utilized research designs biased toward families orchildren who seek treatment or who come to the attention ofthe health and legal systems, thus neglecting other COAs whomay not have behavioral, emotional, or substance-abuse prob-lems (El-Guebaly & Offord, 1977). Second, the predominantfocus on negative aspects of the COA experience has been criti-cized by researchers who suggest that growing up in an alcoholicfamily may encourage adaptive behaviors as well (El-Guebaly& Offord, 1977; Russell et al., 1985). Third, few studies havecompared the experiences of male and female COAs or haveexamined differences relating to the gender of the alcoholic par-ent, although some findings have revealed a greater impact foralcoholic fathers or have suggested that parental alcoholismmay affect sons and daughters differently (Russell et al., 1985).This study addresses these theoretical and methodological is-An earlier version of this article was presented at the National Coun-cil on Alcoholism Forum, San Francisco, April 1986. The authors grate-fully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Christopher D. Smith-ers Foundation i n this research.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to AlanBerkowitz, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York14456.sues by examining the following questions with respect to per-sonality characteristics: (a) Are there particular differences inthe personality characteristics of a nonclinical sample of self-identified COAs and their peers from nonalcoholic families? (b)Are differences in the personality characteristics of COAs andtheir peers gender specific? and (c) Is there a difference in theimpact of alcoholic fathers and alcoholic mothers on the person-alities of their children, and is there an interaction between thegender of the alcoholic parent and the child's gender that mayaffect personality development?Method

Personality characteristics of children of alcoholics.

This study compared the personality characteristics of late adolescent and young adult children ofalcoholics (COAs) with those of their peers and examined the extent to which personality differencesare gender specific and are related to the gender of the alcoholic parent. Specifically, data derivedfrom an alcohol survey of young college students (N = 860) were used to examine familial alcoholismand personality characteristics, including impulsiveness, self-depreciation, lack of tension, indepen-dence/autonomy, need for social support, directiveness, sociability, and other-directedness. Al-though COA respondents were similar to their peers on most personality measures, they were morelikely to report greater self-depreciation. This difference in self-depreciation between COAs and theirpeers was greater for women than men. Women with an alcoholic father were significantly morelikely than women with an alcoholic mother to report greater self-depreciation. Male COAs ratedthemselves significantly higher on autonomy than did their male peers, but the gender of the alcoholicparent had little effect on this variable.Concern about the effect of an alcoholic parent on his or herchildren has been frequently expressed by clinicians and by oth-ers in recent research literature. In a comprehensive review ofthe literature on children of alcoholics (COAs), Russell, Hen-derson, and Blume (1985) concluded that such children are ata particularly high risk for alcoholism and other emotional andbehavioral problems, including difficult social adjustment andsubstance abuse. They also cited studies in which COAs werefound to possess distinctive personality characteristics, includ-ing lower self-esteem and a more external locus of control. How-ever, it has also been suggested that COAs are more resilientthan previous studies have indicated (Werner, 1986).Yet, findings are limited and conclusions based on previousresearch must be qualified. First, the majority of studies onCOAs have utilized research designs biased toward families orchildren who seek treatment or who come to the attention ofthe health and legal systems, thus neglecting other COAs whomay not have behavioral, emotional, or substance-abuse prob-lems (El-Guebaly & Offord, 1977). Second, the predominantfocus on negative aspects of the COA experience has been criti-cized by researchers who suggest that growing up in an alcoholicfamily may encourage adaptive behaviors as well (El-Guebaly& Offord, 1977; Russell et al., 1985). Third, few studies havecompared the experiences of male and female COAs or haveexamined differences relating to the gender of the alcoholic par-ent, although some findings have revealed a greater impact foralcoholic fathers or have suggested that parental alcoholismmay affect sons and daughters differently (Russell et al., 1985).This study addresses these theoretical and methodological is-An earlier version of this article was presented at the National Coun-cil on Alcoholism Forum, San Francisco, April 1986. The authors grate-fully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Christopher D. Smith-ers Foundation i n this research.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to AlanBerkowitz, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York14456.sues by examining the following questions with respect to per-sonality characteristics: (a) Are there particular differences inthe personality characteristics of a nonclinical sample of self-identified COAs and their peers from nonalcoholic families? (b)Are differences in the personality characteristics of COAs andtheir peers gender specific? and (c) Is there a difference in theimpact of alcoholic fathers and alcoholic mothers on the person-alities of their children, and is there an interaction between thegender of the alcoholic parent and the child's gender that mayaffect personality development?Method