Alcoholism and family factors. A critical review

This chapter provides a critical review of empirical research in the area of alcoholism and family psychosocial factors. The review describes the early conceptualizations of the alcoholic family system as a unitary phenomenon and summarizes a series of laboratory studies using simulation games that sought to identify salient characteristics of alcoholic family interaction. The chapter traces the evolution of family psychosocial research and highlights the current interest in the field in articulating alcoholic family typologies. The discussion focuses on two major bodies of research: (1) a collection of studies that form the basis for a theory of alcoholism and family development; and (2) an ongoing series of projects that address the relationship between different patterns of alcohol consumption and family interaction. Topics addressed in the research include the possible adaptive functions of alcohol in family systems, the relationship between phasic drinking patterns and family regulatory dimensions, and the effects of family response style on long-term family functioning and intergenerational transmission of alcoholism.