Forgiveness and Adult Children of Alcoholics-Related Problems Among College Students as Mediated by Psychological...

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs) face myriad challenges related to experiencing negative life events resulting from their parents' problematic drinking. ACOAs are at an elevated risk of developing alcohol-related problems and psychological distress, which may influence their overall well-being. The current, cross-sectional study examined the association of forgiveness with both ACOA-related problems and alcohol-related problems among college students raised by parents with a history of problematic drinking (N = 348), as mediated by psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). Results indicated that higher levels of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations were each associated with lower levels of depression, which in turn were associated with fewer alcohol-related problems. Higher levels of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations were associated with lower levels of depression and stress, which in turn were associated with fewer ACOA-related problems. However, forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations each operated through less anxiety in association with more ACOA-related problems. Neither depression, anxiety, nor stress operated as mediators of the association of forgiveness of parent(s) alcohol use with ACOA-related or alcohol-related problems. These findings suggest that certain dimensions of forgiveness, particularly self-forgiveness, may be crucial in mitigating psychological distress and related problems among ACOAs. The results highlight the potential importance of forgiveness-based interventions in addressing ACOA-related problems and problematic alcohol use among college students with a family history of alcohol problems.