Children of Alcoholics - Research Paper Example

Children of Alcoholics Introduction Alcoholism brings forth a variety of negative effects to alcoholics and to their children. These effects range from the emotional to the mental and they affect almost all aspects of the alcoholic children’s lives. This paper shall assess the impact of alcoholism on the children of alcoholics. It shall hereby present an annotated bibliography of ten studies critically evaluating literature related to the topic at hand. A study by Mylant, Ide, Cuevas, and Meehan (2002) sought to establish the relationship between the children of alcoholics’ status and many delinquent adolescent behaviors. More specifically, this study sought to establish whether or not parental alcoholism could be a risk factor for teens engaging in problem behaviors (Mylant, Ide, Cuevas, and Meehan, 2002). This study covered Wyoming high-risk youth groups and revealed that adolescent children of alcoholics registered lower psychosocial factors of family/personal strengths and school bonding. They also registered lower on factors related to at-risk temperament, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as compared to children on non-alcoholics (Mylant, Ide, Cuevas, and Meehan, 2002). This study concluded that adolescent children of alcoholics have a high risk for depression, for suicide, for developing eating disorders, for being chemically dependent, and for getting pregnant in their teenage years. This study is credible and reliable based on the process of research it went through. The authors are credible specialists in the field of psychiatry and they were able to present a strong researchable thesis on the subject matter. In a study by Menees and Segreen (2000), the researchers sought to establish the specificity of problematic family environments to children of alcoholics against children exposed to significant family stressors like parental death, unemployment, separation, or major illness. This study covered university students completing a self-report of the family stressors they have been exposed to. The first groups of students covered those who were exposed to alcoholism only; the second group covered those who were exposed to other family stressors like divorce, unemployment, major illness, deaths, and similar stressors. The study revealed that university students with alcoholic parents were no more disturbed by their disruptive family setting than students who were also exposed to other stressors (Menees and Segreen, 2000). This study indicates that family stressors like alcoholism, death, divorce, and other similar stressors affect students in similar significant ways. This study is reliable and credible because it was published in a peer-reviewed journal and conducted by competent and credible authors. These authors presented adequate, valid, and reliable processes in order to secure the results revealed by this paper. Havey and Dodd (2000) attempted to examine the differences between children of alcoholics and their peers, and also the relation between the family environment and the children’s experimentation with alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. This study revealed that experiences with negative life events like family conflicts and lack of family cohesion often predicted early experimentation with alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Being children of alcoholics was not, per se, a predictor of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco use. These children were however more likely to experiment with tobacco, not so much on alcohol or drugs (Havey and Dodd, 2000). This study is also credible and reliable because it was published in a peer-reviewed article by authors who are experts in the field of psychiatry. The research process is repeatable and reliable as it covers a sufficient and randomized sample size which may be applied to a larger population of respondents. Researchers Erblich, Earleywine, Erblich, and Bovbjerg (2003) conducted a study in order to evaluate the biphasic stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol. They also specifically, wanted to establish, whether or not children of alcoholics registered different effects in biphasic stimulant sedatives. The authors covered about 100 college students who were either children of alcoholics or were children of non-alcoholics. These respondents underwent a Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale before consuming 0.85n mL/kg of ethanol during the ascending and descending limb of their BAC. The study revealed that there was comparatively an increased level of stimulation from the baseline in children of alcoholics as compared to children of non-alcoholics. In summary, the authors concluded that differences between children of alcoholics and children of non-alcoholics may be due to broader trait differences or other nonpharmacologic factors (Erblich, Earleywine, Erblich, and Bovberg, 2003). This study is reliable and valid as it presents conclusions based on thorough and credible research processes. The study and research process is repeatable and adequately based on statistical tools of analysis. Researchers Sher, Walitzer, Wood, and Brent (1991) conducted their research on 253 children of alcoholics and 237 children of non-alcoholics in order to compare alcohol and drug use, psychopathology, cognitive ability and personality. Their study was able to reveal more alcohol-related and drug-related problems among children of alcoholics; it also revealed high levels of behavioral undercontrol, neuroticism and psychiatric distress in the children of alcoholics. Lower academic achievement and lower verbal ability was also seen among children of alcoholics as compared to children of non-alcoholics (Sher, Walitzer, Wood, and Brent, 1991). This study is valid and credible because of the reliability of the authors and the process they underwent in the course of their research. They present clear and logical results based on adequate statistical analysis and treatment. The results are repeatable and measurable. The study is also published in a peer-reviewed journal and it offers valid points of discussion which are based on valid and reliable results. Researchers Ohannessian and Hesselbrock (2004) sought to assess the relationship between parental alcoholism, alcohol expectancies, and adult drinking behaviors among 76 children of alcoholics and 68 children of non-alcoholics. Gender was also taken into consideration in this study. The study revealed that alcohol expectancies were not influenced by parental alcoholism. It also revealed that social assertiveness expectancies were found to moderate the relationship between paternal alcoholism and drinking behaviors. It also indicated that children with alcoholic fathers with high expectations for social assertiveness were those who carried the risk for becoming alcoholics themselves (Ohannessian and Hesselbrock, 2004). This study is reliable as it is published in a peer-reviewed journal and is conducted by authors or researchers who are experts in studying and in managing behavior. The study also presents a clear thesis and logical presentation of results leading up to the conclusion. The study uses statistical analysis which provides evidence-based proof of results in the questions posed by this paper. Pastor and Evans (2002) conducted a research in order to evaluate the relationship of alcohol expectancies, family history of alcoholism, menstrual cycle and drinking behavior. It sought to assess alcohol expectancies using the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire covering 85 women with ages ranging from 18 to 35 years of age. A total of 41 women registered a history of parental alcoholism. The study assessed the participants’ mood and alcohol consumption based on one menstrual cycle. The study revealed that alcohol expectancy was higher in women in four of the six AEQ subscales. It also revealed that the menstrual cycle also affects alcohol consumption. Also, it revealed that problems which often relate to alcohol consumption, menstrual cycle phase and family history of alcoholism are factors which should be assessed in addressing alcohol abuse in women (Pastor and Evans, 2002). This study appears in yet another peer-reviewed journal and is accomplished by researchers who have the expertise and skill to conduct this research. The research process is sound and logical, and the results are very much based on statistical analysis and evaluation. Researchers Conway, Swendson, and Merikangas (2002) sought to establish the moderating role of family history of alcohol disorders on the association between positive alcohol expectancies and drinking behavior. The study revealed that family history of alcoholism had a significant impact on problem drinking symptoms and on alcohol expectancies, drinking symptoms, frequency, and/or quantity of alcohol use. In assessing the familial density of alcoholism, impact was seen in all drinking variables – therefore indicating that the degree to which alcohol expectancies was associated with drinking outcomes fluctuated based on the extent to which alcohol use disorders clustered in families (Conway, Swendson, and Merikangas, 2002). This study presented a logical thesis which was later assessed and studied using statistical tools. The authors are credible because they are specialists in the field of behavioral research and their journal has been published as a peer reviewed article. The results of this study are repeatable and applicable to a larger population of respondents. Hoecker (1996) aimed to conduct a research in order to determine the differences between adult children of alcoholics and children of alcoholics. It covered a state college introduction to psychology course and a public elementary school (groups: >18 yrs and >18 yrs). Age, sex, and parental alcoholic status were assessed. The study revealed that alcoholic parents affect the self-esteem of their children. In this study, their children scored lower points in self-esteem as compared to children of non-alcoholics. Those who were older than 18 years averaged 2.47 points higher in depression as compared to children below 18 years of age (Hoecker, 1996). The authors are quick to recommend that more studies on the topic need to be undertaken in order to help support findings definitively on either side of the thesis statement. This paper is credible in the sense that it presents a logical thesis. The author is also credible because she is an expert in this field of medical research and has published several papers related to this topic. The results are repeatable and largely based on the statistical tools and analysis. Finally, in a paper by Williams and Corrigan (2006) they sought to assess the differential effects of parental alcoholism and mental illness on adult children. A total of 139 undergraduate and graduate students were measured on anxiety, depression, social avoidance, self-esteem, and social support. The study revealed that the adult children of alcoholics, adult children of those who are mentally ill, and adult children of substance abusing mentally ill parents registered lower self-esteem and were very likely socially anxious as compared to those with normal parents. Children of alcoholics, substance abusers, and those who were mentally ill were also likely to be depressed and to show greater levels of anxiety. Additionally, the paper revealed that the impact of parental problems were diminished or lessened when the adult children had large or satisfactory social support networks (Williams and Corrigan, 2006). This paper is credible and reliable because it presents logical and valid research methods which matched or fit the requirements of this study. The authors were also reliable and credible because they were specialists in this field of study. The paper was also published in a peer-reviewed journal. Works Cited Conway, K., Swendsen, J., Merikangas, K. (2002) Alcohol expectancies, alcohol consumption, and problem drinking: The moderating role of family history. Addictive Behaviors, volume 28, issue 5, pp. 823-836 Erblich, J., Earleywine, M., Erblich, B., and Bovbjerg, D. (August 2003) Biphasic stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol: Are children of alcoholics really different? Addictive Behaviors, volume 28, issue 6, pp. 1129-1139 Havey, J. and Dodd, D. (February 2000) Children of Alcoholics, Negative Life Events, and Early Experimentation with Drugs. Journal of School Psychology, volume 33, issue 4, pp. 305-317 Hoecker, K., (30 April, 1996) Depression and Self Esteem of Children of Alcoholics by Sex and Age. Missouri Western University. Retrieved 31 October 2009 from the World Wide Web http://www.missouriwestern.edu/psychology/research/psy302/spring96/kellyhoeker.html Menees, M. and Segrin, C. (2000) The Specificity of Disrupted Processes in Families of Adult Children of Alcoholics. Alcohol and Alcoholism, volume 35, number 4, pp. 361-367 Mylant, M., Ide, B., Cuevas, E., and Meehan, M. (2002) Adolescent Children of Alcoholics: Vulnerable or Resilient? Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 57-64 Ohannesian, C. and Hesselbrock, V. (2004) Do alcohol expectancies moderate the relationship between parental alcoholism and adult drinking behaviors? Addictive Behaviors, volume 29, issue 5, pp. 901-909 Pastor, A., and Evans, S. (2003) Alcohol outcome expectancies and risk for alcohol use problems in women with and without a family history of alcoholism. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, volume 70, number 2, pp. 201-214 Sher, K., Walitzer, K., Wood, P., and Brent, E., (November 1991) Characteristics of Children of Alcoholics: Putative Factors, Substance Use and Abuse, and Psychopathology, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, volume 11, issue 4, pp. 427-448 Williams, O. and Corrigan, P. (21 February 2006) The differential effects of parental alcoholism and mental illness on their adult children. Journal of Clinical Psychology, volume 48, issue 3, pp. 406-414 Read More