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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.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The purpose of this study was to describe, analyze, and better understand the lived experiences of women age 50 and older in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Guiding this inquiry were the following research questions: 1) How do the older women participants experience the AA program? 2) What aspects of AA do older women consider beneficial? 3) What aspects of AA do older women consider detrimental? 4) What do older women consider as important conditions to succeed in the AA program? 5) How did these older women elicit meaning in their involvement with AA? and 6) How was the narrative aspect of AA experienced by the participants? Fourteen older women from AA meetings in Southwest Virginia participated in two qualitative interviews. The results were represented by narrative descriptions of each participan's experiences and analyzed for common themes across the stories, which were presented and discussed. For these participants, the AA program was found to intersect with narrative therapy. AA, like narrative therapy, highlights deconstructing and re-authoring life stories through personal narratives. Storytelling itself proved to be among the most important traditions of AA and a core benefit to the storyteller (and to a lesser extent, the listener). Study participants found that telling their stories allowed for 1) a way to give back to the program, 2) a feeling of belonging to the group, 3) a welcome reminder to the speaker of her past struggles with alcoholism, and 4) a spiritual experience. Many of the women articulated their early concerns with publicly sharing at meetings, as well as their ongoing considerations of boundaries, over-sharing, and conflicts of interest in storytelling. Finally, in an unexpected finding, the women cultivated and maintained intimate friendships with other women in AA that addressed relevant issues beyond sobriety including everyday needs and life challenges. Social activities often transcended the boundaries of the meetings. / 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

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This exploratory and applied study was undertaken to compile a generalized profile, understand the target group's needs and to formulate a set of directives for an intervention program for adolescent children of alcoholics. The Christian Action for Dependence (CAD) views alcoholism as a factor that affects every member of the household and adopts a systemic approach for solving this problem. An earlier study proofed that the organization does not provide sufficiently for the intervention of adolescent children whose parents are members of the self-help groups. In order to address this shortcoming, the Teencads (Teenage Christian Action for Dependence) was established in 1997. It functioned as a penfriend's club. The current study was prompted by the need for greater clarity in planning programs for a group like Teencads. A literature study was undertaken to assess the effect of parental alcoholism on adolescents. The research focused on the developmental tasks of adolescence; looked into the child's emotional reaction to parental alcoholism; highlighted the child's reaction in respect of different relationships and determined the effect of parental alcoholism on the academic performance of the child as well as the connection between parental alcoholism and pathological behavior of the child. Classical adaptive behavior by the children of alcoholics was studied by focusing on the contrast between observed behavior and the adolescent's underlying emotional reaction to parental alcoholism. The purpose of the literature study was to look for effective methods of intervention and intervention strategies, and to examine the aims and objectives of international programs that are currently being implemented. The empirical study focused on the CAD in the Western- and Southern-Cape. Twenty seven adolescents were selected by cluster sampling and the snowball technique. They completed a questionnaire that was compiled from the studied literature. The results of the empirical study strengthened the hypothesis that parental alcoholism has a negative effect on the development of adolescents and that social work intervention is a matter of urgency. Based on the results of the study, the researcher proposed policy guidelines for intervention programs for adolescents in the CAD. Guidelines and suggestions for such programs have been formulated. The recommendations of this study are applicable to adolescent children of all alcoholics. Organizations other than the CAD, as well as other social workers, will be able to use these recommendations in the formulation of intervention programs for adolescent children of alcoholics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Verkennende en beskrywende studie is onderneem om 'n veralgemeenbare profiel van die adolessente kinders van alkoholiste vas te stel, asook om te bepaal wat die behoeftes van hierdie teikengroep ten opsigte van 'n intervensieprogram is. Die uiteindelike doel van die ondersoek was om riglyne vir 'n intervensieprogram ten opsigte van adolessente kinders van alkoholiste te formuleer. Die Christelike Afhanklikheidsdiens (CAD) werk vanuit 'n sistemiese benadering en beskou alkoholisme as 'n probleem wat elke lid van die gesin beïnvloed. 'n Voorafondersoek het bewys dat die organisasie nie voldoende voorsiening maak vir intervensie van adolessente kinders wie se ouers lede van die selfhelpgroepe is nie. In 'n poging om hierdie leemte aan te spreek, is die Teencads (Tiener Christelike Afhanklikheidsdiens) in 1997 gestig en funksioneer dit onder leiding van die ondersoeker as 'n penvriendeklub vir hierdie teikengroep. 'n Behoefte aan meer rigting en duidelikheid ten opsigte van programinhoud, het hierdie ondersoek genoop. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om die invloed van ouer-alkoholisme op adolessente te bepaal. Tydens die ondersoek is die ontwikkelingstake van die adolessente lewensfase in ag geneem; die kind se emosionele reaksie op oueralkoholisme ondersoek; die kind se reaksie in verskillende verhoudings waargeneem; die invloed van ouer-alkoholisme op akademiese prestasie en die verband tussen ouer-alkoholisme en patalogiese gedrag by adolessente vasgestel. Die klassieke aanpassingsrolle wat kinders van alkoholiste vertolk is ondersoek deurdat die navorser spesifiek op die kontras tussen waargenome gedrag en onderliggende emosies by die adolessent klem gelê het. In aansluiting by die doel van die navorsing is daar tydens die literatuurondersoek gefokus op die doelwitte vir 'n effektiewe intervensieprogram; metodes van intervensie; intervensiestrategieë, asook op die inhoud en intervensiemetodes van bestaande internasionale programme. Die empiriese ondersoek was op die CAD in die Wes- en Suid-Kaap gerig. Daar is 27 adolessente deur trossteekproeftrekking en 'n sneeubaltegniek geselekteer om 'n vraelys, gebasseer op die literatuurondersoek, te voltooi. Die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek bevestig die navorser se hipotese dat ouer-alkoholisme 'n negatiewe invloed op die ontwikkeling van adolessente het en dat maatskaplikewerk-intervensie noodsaaklik is. Op grond van die ondersoek en resultate, is 'n beleidsraamwerk ten opsigte van 'n intervensieprogram met kinders van alkoholiste, spesifiek vir die CAD geformuleer en volledige en omvattende riglyne en voorstelle vir sodanige program neergelê. Die aanbevelings van hierdie ondersoek is van toepassing op adolessente kinders van alle alkoholiste en kan dus met vrug deur ander organisasies en maatskaplike werkers gebruik word.

M.A. / Dependency affects the family as a whole and forms part of the transactional patterns that regulates the behaviour of the family members. Seeing that the family and dependent person has a mutual effect on each other relapse prevention is also influenced by the family system. Therefore it is essential that social work intervention with the chemical dependant person focuses on the family as a whole. Relapses seems to be a factor that needs to be taken in to account in the field of chemical dependency because of the very high relapse rates. The dependant behaviour is altered through the anticipation and management of relapses. Through viewing relapse prevention from the systemic context the family system as a whole can be focused on relapse prevention and not just the individual. This study aimed at exploring the role of the family in relapse prevention, thus identifying family factors which are of importance in relapse prevention of the chemical dependent person. A Qualitative research methodology was utilised to explore the diverse experiences of families regarding relapse prevention. The focus of this research is therefore on the family processes through which families create, maintain and discuss their own reality thus was family context, interaction and dynamics studied. The theoretical basis for the intervention with the chemical dependant person is established in the discussion of the relapse prevention model as well as the general systems theory. From this theoretical basis a work protocol was compiled to which data that was gathered and analysed. For the aim of this study a nonpiobability purposive sample was used in the compiling of the two focus groups. The focus groups lend itself to interviewing with small groups where the respondents explore their own reality. The data was gathered by means of field notes and audio tapes which were transcribed. Analysis of data was.done according to schedules and these schedules were compiled according to the literature. The schedules were divided in to the family and relapse prevention categories. Coding was done by the researcher and a co-coder in order to compare the results. In the coding process the researcher and co-coder utilised the schedules to code the transcribed audio tapes and field notes. The information gleaned form the data gathering and analysis was used to identify central themes. These themes were offered as results. The results obtained were compared to relevant literature in order to further the reliability of the research. The reliability of the study was examined in the light of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. From the study methodological and theoretical conclusions could be drawn. The methodological conclusions have to do with the method of research which was utilised in this study. Regarding the contextual aims and context of the empirical study certain theoretical conclusions were drawn. The results and conclusions indicated certain family factors that play a role in relapse prevention in the family system. Recommendations were offered on the basis of the study and the conclusions drawn. The methodology and context of the empirical study directs the recomMendations drawn thus ensuring the practice orientation of the results and the connection of the results to the goal of this study. This, research indicates that the family plays an important role in relapse prevention of the chemical dependant person as well as the value of the application of the relapse prevention model with a systemic application in the social work intervention with the chemical dependant person.

This study uses a qualitative research design to examine the skills and knowledge that both CPS (Child Protective Service) workers and Foster Care Professionals have regarding AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) issues. It includes information on professionals' perceptions of whether or not more education in this area is needed, and the impact that these AOD issues are having upon the child welfare / foster care systems.