title: A comparison of the psychosocial functioning of children with drug-versus alcohol-dependent fathers.
abstract: The present study compared the psychosocial functioning of children whose fathers primarily abused illicit drugs other than alcohol (n = 51 ) to children from a demographically matched sample of families whose fathers abused alcohol (n = 51). Children with drug-abusing (DA) fathers exhibited significantly more negative child behaviors on a standardized child-rating scale than did children from homes with alcohol-abusing fathers. In addition, a significantly greater proportion of children with DA fathers met clinical cutoffs indicative of psychosocial impairment (n = 23: 45%) than did children whose fathers abused alcohol (n = 5; 10%). Mediation analyses indicated that severity of drug, legal, medical, employment, and family problems partially mediated the relationship between type of family (i.e., families with fathers who had an alcohol problem versus families with fathers who had a drug problem) and children's psychosocial adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Cathy G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fals-Stewart
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019546:Couples Therapy; D005195:Family Relations; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012917:Social Adjustment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs