title: Buffering the negative effects of maternal alcohol problems on child behavior.
abstract: Our objective was to examine how mothers' warmth can protect children from the negative effects of maternal alcohol problems on children's externalizing behavior and, alternately, how harsh parenting can exacerbate the problem. We used data from 1,563 families eligible for Early Head Start and assessed when children were age 5 and again at age 11. We examined whether mothers' warmth or harsh parenting at age 5 moderated the effect of maternal alcohol problems on children's behavior problems at age 11. Results indicated that mothers' symptoms of alcohol problems when children were age 5 predicted greater externalizing behavior problems (aggression and rule breaking) when children were age 11. Aggression and rule-breaking behaviors, externalizing behaviors commonly associated with maternal alcohol problems, were lessened when mothers were warm and did not engage in harsh parenting techniques. Our findings highlight the importance of positive parenting techniques in high-risk families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.
authors.forename: Nicola A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Conners-Burrow
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.
authors.forename: Lorraine M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McKelvey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Joy R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Mesman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Khiela J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: T. Denny Sanford School Social Family Dynamics, Arizona State University.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult