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Paternal alcohol abuse: relationship between child adjustment, parental characteristics, and family functioning

Bente Storm Mowatt Haugland1

  • 1Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, 5015 Bergen, Norway. Bente.Haugland@psykp.uib.no

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|November 18, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Children with fathers abusing alcohol experience more adjustment problems. These issues stem from a combination of risk factors, not just the paternal alcohol abuse itself.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Addiction Studies
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Paternal alcohol abuse is a significant environmental stressor for children.
  • Understanding child adjustment in these families requires examining multiple risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify risk factors associated with child adjustment in families with paternal alcohol abuse.
  • To compare child adjustment in this sample to a general population.

Main Methods:

  • Study sample: 37 children with alcohol-abusing fathers in Norway.
  • Data collection: Assessed socio-economic status, paternal alcohol abuse severity, parental psychological issues, family functioning, and child adjustment using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

Main Results:

  • Children of alcohol-abusing fathers exhibited more adjustment problems than the general population sample.
  • Child adjustment was linked to an accumulation of risk factors, including general environmental issues (e.g., parental psychological problems, family climate) and factors specific to paternal alcohol abuse (e.g., abuse severity, child's exposure).
  • Fathers' and mothers' assessments of child adjustment identified different associated risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Child adjustment in families with paternal alcohol abuse is multifactorial.
  • Interventions should address a range of environmental and alcohol-specific risk factors.
  • Collecting perspectives from both parents is crucial for a comprehensive assessment of child adjustment.

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