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Behaviour problems in 18- to 36-month old children of alcoholic fathers: secure mother-infant attachment as a

Ellen P Edwards1, Rina Das Eiden, Kenneth E Leonard

  • 1Research Institute on Addictions, Buffalo, NY, USA. eedwards@ria.buffalo.edu

Development and Psychopathology
|July 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children with alcoholic fathers show more behavior problems. Secure infant-mother attachment can buffer these effects, especially for externalizing behaviors in toddlers.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Substance Abuse Research

Background:

  • Paternal alcoholism is a significant risk factor for child behavioral issues.
  • Early childhood behavior problems can have long-term consequences.
  • Infant-mother attachment security may play a protective role.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between paternal alcoholism and toddler behavior problems (18-36 months).
  • To examine if infant-mother attachment security moderates this relationship.
  • To inform early intervention strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study tracking children from 18 to 36 months.
  • Comparison of behavior problems in children of alcoholic vs. non-alcoholic fathers.
  • Assessment of 12-month infant-mother attachment security.

Main Results:

  • Children with alcoholic fathers exhibited higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors.
  • Mother-infant attachment security moderated externalizing behaviors at 24 and 36 months.
  • Secure attachment was associated with lower externalizing behaviors in children of alcoholic fathers.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal alcoholism is linked to increased toddler behavior problems.
  • Secure infant-mother attachment can mitigate some negative effects of paternal alcoholism.
  • Attachment security is a crucial factor for intervention in at-risk families.

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