[Alcohol problems in adolescence with reference to high risk children of alcoholic parents. Results of a family study in Mecklenburg Vorpommern].
In earlier studies, children of alcoholics (COAs) reported more alcohol and drug problems and higher levels of maladaptive behaviour and psychiatric distress than non-COAs. However, increased exposure to drugs and alcohol among COAs does not fully explain this phenomenon. In our family-based study design, we were able to investigate specific risk factors for alcohol problems in adolescence. In a first step, we compared a variety of psychosocial risk factors in 90 adolescents (12-18 years of age) from families with at least one alcohol-abusing parent with those of 90 adolescents of parents without alcohol disorders. In a second step, we investigated the meaning of all included risk factors for alcohol problems of the adolescents. Our results give some support to the existence of a lower extent of emotional warmth and support by parents of children in the COA sample. Moreover, males of the COA group reported more parental rejection and higher values on measures of attention problems and anxiety/depression than controls, whereas there were no such differences between females of the COA group and their control counterparts. Additionally, logistic regression analysis revealed that only the membership in a substance-using peer group and higher age are important risk factors for alcohol problems during adolescence. Considering our results, it is of great importance (a) to identify families at risk at the earliest possible stage and (b) to develop intervention and prevention programs further for parents and children to increase social competence and protect children at risk from later alcohol abuse.
Barnow
S
S
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität, Ellernholzstrasse 1-2, 17487 Greifswald. barnow@mail.uni-greifswald.de
Lucht
M
M
Freyberger
H J
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012951:Socialization