The primary objective of this study was to determine whether parental alcoholism significantly altered intergenerational relationship variables between parents and offspring. The intergenerational variables of fusion/individuation, intimacy, triangulation, intimidation, and personal authority were investigated. One hundred and ninety-five university undergraduates responded to a written questionnaire. Each participant signed a consent form, completed the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST), the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire Version C (PAFS-QVC), and a demographic questionnaire. Based on CAST scores, subjects were divided into 44 Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs) and 151 Adult Children of NonAlcoholics (NonACOAs). Demographic data indicated that the overall sample was primarily composed of White, middle class, unmarried, undergraduates with a gender distribution of slightly more females than males. The ACOA group was represented by a two to one ratio of females to males, the majority of alcoholic parents were identified as male, the mean age for the ACOA's first awareness of parental alcoholism was 11.22 years, and the majority of ACOAs recognized parental alcoholism as being disruptive to the home environment. Multivariate analyses revealed that ACOAs differed from nonACOAs on the five dependent variables. Specifically, lower levels of intimacy and triangulation, along with an apparent trend towards lower levels of individuation were found within the parent-child relationship. The independent variables of offspring's gender, offspring's age at earliest awareness of parental alcoholism, offspring’s perceived home effect of parental alcoholism, and nonalcoholics parent's perceived home effect of parental alcoholism did not have a significant impact on the intergenerational dependent variables. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to gather insights from recovering (from addictions) Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) at Pathway to Recovery, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, who have participated in a pilot family addictions treatment group. This research gives evidence on the group counseling support that ACA group members reported they received and/or determined they needed to receive regarding: their (1) addictions and recovery; (2) specific family of origin roles; and (3) basic ACA issues; as well as information needed to continue living a healthy, productive, drug-free life-style, and; the assistance counselors/therapists could give in this endeavor.A case study methodology was used for this research. Eight informants were purposively selected from a total of 45 ACA group members. Three interviews were conducted with each of the eight informants. Retrospective, structured, and semi-structured interviews, as described by Fraenkel and Wallen (1996) were utilized. Since an interview guide was unavailable for use in this study, one was created.The following four conclusions were drawn from the results of this study:1. The evidence collected suggests that the eight informants benefited from the three-pronged (addictions, ACA issues, specific family role) Recovery, Inc.2. The evidence (detailed in Chapter Four) indicated that many of the actions described herein assisted informants after leaving the ACA group and that the group was responsible for many of the positive changes.3. Accepting oneself was identified most often as the step needed to achieve and maintain sobriety.4. Learning about family issues and studying childhood behaviors may be painful as well as helpful.Results of this study were not generalized beyond these eight informants. However, this study contributed new information to the field of addictions and family roles research by describing the actions, behaviors, thoughts and feelings of these eight informants. / Department of Educational Leadership

This participatory research journey looked at the lives of adult children of alcoholics, with particular reference to how identity is affected by growing up in a home where one or both parents are struggling with alcohol abuse, and how this struggle with identity carries through into adulthood. A study was made of the particular discourses which impacted negatively upon the child from this home and the manner in which the discourses had a negative impact later on as an adult. Through narrative pastoral conversations the possibilities for healing, as well as the barriers for healing were explored. Through this exploration alternative stories were created. A vital part of the study was focused upon the witnessing of the stories of the participants` lives and the acknowledgement of some of the events from their childhood that formed their identity and contributed to who they are today. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

This participatory research journey looked at the lives of adult children of alcoholics, with particular reference to how identity is affected by growing up in a home where one or both parents are struggling with alcohol abuse, and how this struggle with identity carries through into adulthood. A study was made of the particular discourses which impacted negatively upon the child from this home and the manner in which the discourses had a negative impact later on as an adult. Through narrative pastoral conversations the possibilities for healing, as well as the barriers for healing were explored. Through this exploration alternative stories were created. A vital part of the study was focused upon the witnessing of the stories of the participants` lives and the acknowledgement of some of the events from their childhood that formed their identity and contributed to who they are today. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

No description available.

Background: A wealth of quantitative literature exists exploring the impact of parental alcohol misuse on adult and child offspring. It is often proposed that children of alcoholics are at risk of experiencing a host of negative outcomes, many of which are said to persist into adulthood. Confusing and contradictory results have led researchers to identify a subset of offspring deemed to be resilient. Little remains known about the factors that influence who becomes negatively affected and who becomes resilient, or how these factors are experienced by individuals. The recent up rise of qualitative methodologies also suggest this divide is not clear, with offspring of alcoholics demonstrating a range of functioning. Aim: With this in mind, the current study aims to explore the lived experience of adult children of alcoholics to gather a richer understanding of how these individuals develop into the people they are today. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six individuals who grew up with at least one alcoholic parent. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse verbatim transcripts. Results: The analysis produced four master themes. These were: ‘Dealing with the loss of connection to parents’, ‘Feeling hopeless and helpless’, Struggling to stay sane’ and ‘I know who I want to be more than I know who I am’. The master themes and corresponding subordinate themes are discussed in relation to the relevant literature. Clinical implications, methodological considerations and directions for future research are also presented. Conclusions: This study provided insight into the lived experience of being an adult child of an alcoholic. It highlighted the challenges and struggles they faced in childhood and the ways in which they battled to overcome the difficulties they experienced to forge a preferred identity in adulthood. It also emphasised the importance of perceived parental rejection as the pathway to causing distress and the desire to be better than their parents as a pathway to resiliency.

The specific purpose of this study was to try and understand why unique experiences of living with an alcoholic parent could create developmental deficits which emotionally challenge COAs' when faced with the life lessons a college environment offers. This study offered four possible explanations for experiencing challenges in its theoretical background: (1) psychosocial development, (2) the epistemology of alcoholism and its effects on the family, (3) personality development and the concurrence of building resilience, and (4) the college environment itself, with the phenomenon of binge drinking--forcing COAs to confront family alcoholism. A total of 7 participated in this study--4 men and 3 women. Despite the dynamic differences in the answers overall, all 7 participants acknowledged one important concept. When the participants were asked about their own drinking habits, each participant said, though in different ways, they had to be careful with their drinking habits. Participants seemed to be aware that whether alcoholism is genetic or a learned addiction, they were at risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. This study found overall, as previous literature suggests, no matter how COAs are studied, they are found to be a heterogeneous population. Specifically, this study's results points out that they are indeed heterogeneous, yet similar in that all participants in this study, it could be argued, exhibit some vulnerability in regard to parental alcoholism.

Difficulties developing and maintaining intimate relationships are often attributed to adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). However, the focus of the literature has been on those obtaining psychological treatment and has primarily involved clinical impressions. The purpose of this study was to examine intimacy in the close friendships and love relationships of ACAs. Autonomy and intimacy in respondents' families of origin were also analyzed. Comparisons were made between ACAs currently in (n = 59) and not in (n = 53) therapy, and comparisons who had (n = 48) and had not (n = 77) received therapy. Alcoholics were eliminated. It was hypothesized that ACAs would score significantly lower than comparisons on love and friendship intimacy and autonomy and intimacy in their families of origin. Among the ACAs, those in therapy would score lower than those not in therapy. Hypotheses were tested using MANOVAS. ANOVAs were administered where there were significant differences, and Newman-Keuls contrasts further delineated the divergence. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to obtain explanatory data. The two ACA groups seem to represent distinct populations with those not in therapy failing to report intimacy differences previously ascribed to them. While all of the groups were similar in friendship closeness, only the ACAs in therapy had significantly less intimacy in love relationships. Furthermore, clinical ACAs differed from the other groups by having less family of origin health, more physical and sexual abuse, more maternal drinking, more depression, and more suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Family of origin health predicted intimacy in a love relationship. Family characteristics encompassing honesty, empathy and respect, which may or may not involve alcoholism, seemed to create an atmosphere of faulty parenting in the ACA clinical group which may have subsequently affected the child's intimacy in a love relationship. Results of the study support a developmental model and demonstrate the importance of including nonclinical ACAs as well as clinical comparisons in future research.

This study examined the relationships of adult attachment, locus of control, and fear of intimacy between adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and non adult children of alcoholics (NACOAs). A convenience sample of 224 participants, specifically 108 ACOAs and 116 NACOAs, completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R), Rotter's Locus of Control Scale (LOC), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS). Participants were drawn from self-help groups, gatherings, and a health fair held in Palm Beach County, Florida. Data were analyzed utilizing multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), series of analyses of variance (ANOVA), stepwise regression analyses, discriminant function analysis, in addition to correlational analyses. ... ACOAs demonstrated insecure, fearful avoidant attachment patterns, an external locus of control, and greater fear of intimacy. In contrast, NACOAs exhibited secure adult attachment, an internal locus of control, and lower fear of intimacy. This study lends empirical support to clinical practice pertaining to the constructs of adult attachment, locus of control, and fear of intimacy in ACOAs and NACOAs. / by Raffaela Peter. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Theoretical speculation implies Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs) are drawn in disproportionate numbers to caretaking occupations. This study compared the prevalence of ACOAs between nursing and noncaretaking occupations. A cover letter, demographic questionnaire, and Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) were distributed to a random sample of 196 registered nurses and 184 noncaretaking employees at a large metropolitan hospital. Seventy-nine nursing and 104 noncaretaking occupations respondents completed the questionnaires.Comparison of demographic data for nursing and noncaretaking occupations revealed similar composition regarding age, number of marriages, and race. There were more male, divorced, widowed, and first born respondents in noncaretaking occupations than in nursing.ACOAs were identified in 21.5% of nursing respondents and 19.2% of noncaretaking occupation respondents. Chi-square showed no significant difference between the proportion of ACOAs in nursing and noncaretaking occupations at the .05 level of confidence. Thus, the null hypothesis was not rejected. This study found ACOAs are not drawn in disproportionate numbers to nursing. / School of Nursing