Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-148).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-148).

Difficulties in interpersonal functioning have been consistently reported in the literature as a proposed negative outcome for adult children of problem drinkers. The existing literature has largely privileged the quantitative paradigm, which has conceptualised this group's relationship functioning through theoretically driven categories and concepts. The result has been a predominantly negative picture lacking utility, as well as neglecting important contextual processes and the inherent complexity and fluidity of human relationships. The aim of this study was to gain a richer understanding through exploring adult children of problem drinkers lived experience of relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six individuals who grew up with at least one problem drinking parent. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four main themes emerged across participants accounts: 'Moving from 'bewilderment' to seeking clarity and stability in relationships', 'Remembering feeling unsafe and finding safety in relationships', 'Moving from invisibility towards finding a sense of self' and 'Making a choice to change my relationships'. The findings offer an alternative understanding of this group's experiences of relationships which are discussed in relation to the existing literature. Clinical Implications and suggestions for further research are considered.

AFRIKAANS: Alkoholisme is reeds vir dekades 'n problematiese aangeleentheid in die samelewing en dit is 'n verskynsel wat voortduur, ten spyte van die negatiewe impak wat dit op die alkoholis, die alkoholisgesin en die samelewing het. Alkohol word ten spyte van die verslawende effek wat dit op die mens kan hê, nie as 'n dwelmmiddel beskou nie en is vrylik beskikbaar. Drie tot ses persone word negatief beïnvloed deur 'n enkele persoon se alkoholafhanklikheid en alkoholmisbruik word as die derde grootste gesondheidsprobleem in die wêreld beskou. Daar bestaan 'n positiewe verband tussen alkoholmisbruik en motorongelukke, mishandeling en molestering van kinders, gesinsgeweld, aanrandings, huisbrake, verkragtings en moord. Die alkoholisgesin openbaar dikwels eienskappe van 'n disfunksionele gesin en die kind van die alkoholis loop 'n groot risiko om self aan alkohol verslaaf te raak en probleme ten opsigte van sy/haar maatskaplike funksionering te openbaar. Die navorsingstelling naamlik, indien die laerskoolkind van die alkoholis ondersteuning en leiding ontvang deur middel van 'n intervensieprogram in spelterapie vanuit die gestaltbenadering, behoort sy maatskaplike funksionering te verbeter. Die doel van die ondersoek was om die laerskoolkind van die alkoholis deur middel van 'n intervensieprogram in spelterapie te ondersteun en te bemagtig om die realiteite van ouerlike alkoholisme te hanteer. Sodoende kan hierdie kind in staat gestel word om 'n hoër vlak van maatskaplike funksionering as voorheen te bereik. Om hierdie doel te bereik is sowel 'n literatuurstudie as 'n empiriese ondersoek geloods. Die literatuurstudie het die navorser in staat gestel om insig in die impak van alkoholafhanklikheid op die alkoholis, die alkoholisgesin en die kind van die alkoholis te ontwikkel. Literatuur oor spelterapie en die gestaltbenadering is ook bestudeer. Die empiriese ondersoek het behels dat ses laerskoolkinders wie aan ouerlike alkoholisme blootgestel word, betrek is by 'n intervensieprogram wat uit elf individuele en vier groepsessies bestaan het. Intervensie navorsing is in die vorm van 'n kombinasie tussen kwalitatiewe- en kwantitatiewe navorsing aangewend en kwasi-eksperimentele navorsingsprosedures is benut om te bepaal tot watter mate die onafhanklike veranderlike die afhanklike veranderlike beïnvloed het. Selfontwerpte vraelyste is as meetinstrumente tydens die toepassing van die enkelstelselontwerp benut. Sodoende is die doeltreffendheid van die intervensieprogram bepaal, is die navorsingstelling bevestig en is die mate waarin die doel van die studie bereik is, bepaal. Die resultate van die studie is statisties geanaliseer en die volgende gevolgtrekkings is gemaak: <ul><li> 'n Intervensieprogram in spelterapie vanuit die gestaltbenadering is 'n sinvolle hulpverleningsmetode met die laerskoolkind van die alkoholis. Die kind kan deur middel van hierdie program holisties benader word, onvoltooidhede op sy voorgrond kan hanteer word en hy kan bemagtig word om sy gevoelens te identifiseer, te besit en dit te hanteer. Die kind kan in staat gestel word om keuses te maak, nuwe gedragspatrone aan te leer, insig in die verskynsel van alkoholisme te ontwikkel, ondersteuningsnetwerke te benut en om homself te onderhou. </li><li> Intervensie navorsing kan met sukses in maatskaplike werk benut word, aangesien daar doelgerig, prakties en wetenskaplik te werk gegaan kan word om reeds bestaande kennis oor alkoholisme uit te brei. 'n Intervensieprogram met die laerskoolkind van die alkoholis kon met sukses ontwikkel, gelmplementeer, gemeet en geevalueer word. <br></li></ul> Ten slotte word aanbevelings op grond van die bevindinge uit die navorsing op mikro-, meso- en makro-vlak gemaak. ENGLISH: Alcoholism has been for many years a problematic phenomenon in the society. It is also an ongoing occurrence in spite of the negative impact that it has on the alcoholic, the family of the alcoholic and the society. A contributing factor to alcoholism in the world is that the addictive nature of alcohol is not recognized. It is therefor not perceived as a drug and freely available. Three to six people are however negatively affected by a single person's alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is also the third most frequent health problem in the world. A positive reference between alcohol abuse and car accidents, abuse and molestation of children, family violence, assault, rape, murder, house breakage and theft is also known. The alcoholic family often display characteristics of a dysfunctional family and the child of the alcoholic is at great risk to also abuse alcohol and to experience problems with social functioning. This research was done on the following statement: The social functioning of the primary school child of the alcoholic, will improve if this child can be supported and guided through an intervention program in play therapy through the gestalt therapy approach. The aim of this study was to empower and to support the primary school child to handle the reality of parental alcoholism and to achieve a higher level of social functioning than before. The study involved both literature and empirical research in order to achieve this goal. The literature study was aimed to develop more insight in the impact of alcohol abuse on the alcoholic, the alcoholic family and the child of an alcoholic. Literature on play therapy and the gestalt therapy approach was also studied. Six children in primary school that are exposed to parental alcoholism, was involved in an intervention program during the empirical study. This intervention program consisted of eleven individual sessions and four group sessions. Intervention research was undertaken in the form of a combination off qualitative and quantitative research. Quasi-experimental research procedures were implemented to evaluate whether the independent variable was influenced by the dependent variable. Self formulated questionnaires were used through the single system design to achieve the goal of the study and to measure the effectiveness of the intervention program. The results of the study were statistically analysed and the following conclusions can be made: <ul><li> An intervention program in play therapy through the gestalt therapy approach is an effective helping method with the primary school child that is exposed to parental alcoholism. A holistic approach of the child can take place through this program and the child's homeostasis can be improved, his awareness can be increased and the unfinished business on the child's figure ground can be handled. The child can also be empowered to identify and experience his feelings, to make choices, to learn new behaviour, to gain insight in alcoholism, to use a support system and to support himself </li><li> Intervention research can be successfully used in social work. This research method can be done purposefully, practical and scientific and existing knowledge on alcoholism can be extended. An intervention program with the primary school child that is exposed to parental alcoholism can be developed, implemented, measured and evaluated through intervention research. <br></li></ul> Recommendations were made on micro-, meso- and macro-level, concluding this study. / Thesis (D Phil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

Abstract: Prior research indicates a growing number of Children of Alcoholics (CoAs) in Sweden, and increased levels of externalizing behaviours in these individuals. According to international research, externalizing behaviours as criminality are more often displayed in CoAs than children with non-alcoholic parents. CoAs are also more often treated for panic attacks, depression and post-traumatic stress. The assumption is that high risk parents often have high risk children. With the aim to investigate the relationship between parental alcoholism and youth criminality in Sweden a systematic literature review has been conducted. Five databases were used to find relevant publications; Libsearch, Swesub, Eric via Ebsco, ProQuest and Google Scholar. A total of 530 texts were scanned and 17 studies eligible to inclusion were read and analysed according to PRISMA, a preferred reporting system of literature reviews. Inclusion criterions were; Sweden as geographical area, attention on children and young adults aged 13-25 years and a focus on parental drinking and youth criminality. The publications were also to be peer reviewed and published between 1998 and 2018. Results indicate a significant correlation between parental drinking and youth criminality in Sweden. CoAs display externalizing behaviours as aggression, conduct disorders, antisocial behaviour and criminality more often than children without alcoholic parents. It can be concluded that research on the field of CoAs is not the most researched in Sweden but in line with international findings and would benefit from further attention so we in the future can work with preventive measures based on solid knowledge.

The purpose of this study was to re-examine the issue of whether adult children of alcoholics experience more depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem than do children of non-alcoholic families. This study is a replication of the study of David Dodd, entitled A Comparison of Adult Children of Alcoholic Families with Adult Children from Non-Alcoholic Families. 1990. The measures used in this study were as follows: Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Coopersmith Adult Self-Esteem Inventory, and a questionnaire developed by this writer designed to obtain family history regarding not only alcoholism, but other issues of family dysfunctionality as well. The subjects for this study were 231 students enrolled in the counselor education program at this university, all aged 19 or older. Of the 230 subjects, 31 were male and 199 were female. Eleven males identified themselves as children of alcoholics, as measured by the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, and 60 females identified themselves as children of alcoholics. Thus, a total of 71 subjects in this study were identified as children of alcoholics. T-tests were conducted to see whether any differences existed between the male and female groups. No significant differences were found. Results of this study showed that family dysfunctionality rather than parental alcoholism was the factor of variability regarding depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. There appears to be a strong relationship between parental alcoholism and family dysfunctionality, but dysfunctionality clearly has more impact upon depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in the adult children of these families than does alcoholism.

No description available.

During the past decade increased attention has been directed toward alcoholism as a family system problem. Recent publications have identified characteristics of the "alcoholic family" system and a model of psychosocial development specific to children of alcoholics. Both theoretical frameworks proposed that family and individual growth and development were delayed or stagnated by the effects of parental alcoholism. This study explored possible effects of problem parental alcohol use or alcoholism on adolescent development. The variables studied were differentiation from family, identity achievement, and intimacy in close relationships. Two data collection methods were used: a mailed questionnaire and an interview with a subgroup of respondents who returned the questionnaire. Respondents were classified as children of alcoholics (COAs) or children of nonalcoholics (NCOAs) based on answers to one of two questions posed in the demographics' section. Questionnaires were distributed at a four-year college to sophomores, juniors, and seniors residing on-campus. A total of 160 questionnaires were returned. Twenty-four percent of the respondents reported one or more problem drinking parents. Interviews were completed with ten students, four of whom were in the COA group. Student's t tests, analysis of variance and multiple regression tests were performed an the data between and within groups. Results from the between groups analyses indicated that differentiation From family was more developed for the NCOA group. Overall development did not appear affected by parental problem drinking. The within group analysis tested for differences based on gender of problem drinking parent. ANOVA results indicated no significant differences among mean scores on the measures of differentiation, identity, and intimacy. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that differentiation and identity were statistically significant in the prediction of intimacy, although the model best explained intimacy for the COA group. Results suggested that development is most delayed for daughters of alcoholic mothers. / Ph. D.

The present study assessed 351 undergraduate subjects on dimensions of parental alcohol abuse, childhood family environment, childhood social support, current coping style, current negative life experiences, current psychological symptomatology, and current indices of drug and alcohol abuse. Results indicated that, while paternal alcohol abuse, in and of itself, was not related to any of the outcome measures, maternal alcoholism was correlated with one measure of alcohol abuse and three measures of drug abuse, and was independently predictive of a portion of the variance of one alcohol abuse measure among subjects. Early environmental factors (family environment and low levels of social support), as well as current coping style and current negative life experiences, were found to be related to psychological symptomatology and to indices of drug and alcohol abuse. coping style was also found to be related to early family environment and to childhood social support, suggesting that coping style may have its developmental roots in early environmental factors. An interaction between paternal alcohol abuse and disengagement coping style was shown to be predictive of a portion of the variance of subjects' alcohol abuse. Interactions between maternal alcoholism and low level of social support were predictive of a portion of the variance of subjects' drug abuse. / Master of Science

Parental alcoholism is a major risk factor for their children's future alcohol abuse and dependence during adulthood. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to understand African-American adult female children's perceptions of self-worth, their lived experiences, and their quality of life as it relates to parental alcoholism. The research focus and questions were addressed by applying the conceptual framework of Bowen's family systems and Covington's self-worth theories. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 8 African-American adult female children of alcoholics. Subsequent data analysis and thematic coding were employed by using Colazzi's 7-step method to ensure rigor. The key findings from this study revealed that although over half of the women in this sample experienced some form of abuse and exposure to familial discord and even violence, their self-worth was strengthened by resilience and through forgiveness of their parents and siblings. This study's implications for positive social change include helping researchers and practitioners to better understand parental alcoholism and how it could shape the experiences of offspring, especially in the African-American female ethnic group. Future interventions could be shaped by these findings, and researchers may use these study results as a platform for future work in this literature domain.