title: Personal and familial characteristics of resilient sons of male alcoholics.
abstract: This study compared sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) who had no problems with those who were abusing substances, those who had school problems, those who were delinquent and those who were multiproblem. Corresponding groups of non-SOMAs were also included. Groups were compared at ages 6, 10, 12 and 14 years on teacher- and peer-rated aggressiveness, hyperactivity, inattention, anxiety and prosociality; parent-rated temperament; parents' disciplinary practices; school performance; family socio-economic status; self-reported substance (ab)use and delinquency; and school performance (from school records). Differences between SOMAs and non-SOMAs were small. According to teachers and peers, no problem SOMAs and non-SOMAs were less aggressive-oppositional, inattentive and hyperactive than problem SOMAs and non-SOMAs. These effects differed as a function of age, however. Also, no problem SOMAs and non-SOMAs performed better in school than boys in the problem groups. We discuss the relevance of these findings for identifying factors that render children resilient and for early screening to select truly at risk SOMAs for prevention programs.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit on Children's Psycho-Social Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitaro
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Dobkin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carbonneau
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012951:Socialization