Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T07:21:07.037Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13 - Alcohol and drug problems in parents: an overview of the impact on children and implications for practice

from Part III - Specific disorders: the impact on parent–child relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2009

By
Richard Velleman
Edited by
Michael Göpfert ,
Jeni Webster  and
Mary V. Seeman
Richard Velleman
Affiliation:
Mental Health Research and Development Unit, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Michael Göpfert
Affiliation:
Webb House Democratic Therapeutic Community, Crewe
Jeni Webster
Affiliation:
5 Boroughs Partnership, Warrington
Mary V. Seeman
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Get access

Summary

Alcohol and other drugs are used in socially acceptable ways in many diverse cultures but may, under some conditions, produce problems. Problem drinking/drug-taking is defined as any drinking or taking of drugs which causes problems to the drinker/drug-taker or to someone else. The majority of problem drinking/drug-taking is done by people who use alcohol or drugs inappropriately or in an unsafe or hazardous manner, as opposed to people who are seriously dependent or ‘addicted’.

How common is problem drink or drug use?

Figures for the year 2000 (Office for National Statistics, 2001) show that in the UK, 26% of adults report hazardous drinking patterns (as measured by the AUDIT questionnaire; Babor et al., 1992), and about 7% show symptoms of dependence on alcohol (as measured by the SADQ; Stockwell et al., 1983). Men are much more likely to report both hazardous drinking behaviour and signs of dependence than women: for hazardous drinking, the rates were 38% of men vs. 15% of women. Although these figures vary with age as well as gender, the prevalence rate for men never falls below 30% until the 60–64 age group, whereas the prevalence rate for women falls from around 30% for both the 16–19 and 20–24 age groups to around 24% in the 25–29 age group, and to below 20% thereafter.

These figures represent a large growth since the previous survey of this type in 1993.

Keywords

alcoholchildrendrugfamily membersparental relationship
Type
Chapter
Information
Parental Psychiatric Disorder
Distressed Parents and their Families
 , pp. 185 - 202
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdulrahim, D. (2001). Substance Use and Mental Health Co-Morbidity (Dual Diagnosis): Standards for Mental Health Services. London: Health Advisory Service
Abdulrahim, D., Annan, J., Cyster, R. et al. (2001). Developing an Integrated Model of Care for Drug Treatment: Promoting Quality, Efficiency and Effectiveness in Drug Misuse Treatment Services. The Department of Health Models of Care Project. London: Department of Health
Alison, L. (2000). What are the risks to children of parental substance misuse? In Substance Misuse and Child Care, ed. F. Harbin & M. Murphy, pp. 9–20. Lyme Regis: Russell House
Babor, T., de la Fuente, J., Saunders, J. & Grant, M. (1992). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for use in Primary Health Care. Geneva: World Health Organization
Belsky, J. & Pensky, E. (1988). Developmental history, personality and family relationships: toward an emergent family system. In Relationships within Families, ed. R. Hinde & J. Stevenson-Hinde, pp. 193–217. Oxford: Clarendon Press
Bennett, L. & Wolin, S. (1990). Family culture and alcoholism transmission. In Alcohol and the Family: Research and Clinical Perspectives, ed. R. Collins, K. Leonard & J. Searles. New York: Guilford Press
Bennett, L., Wolin, S., Reiss, D. & Teitelbaum, M. (1987). Couples at risk for alcoholism recurrence: protective influences. Family Process, 26, 111–29Google Scholar
Black, C., Bucky, S. & Wilder-Padilla, S. (1986). The interpersonal and emotional consequences of being an adult child of an alcoholic. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 213–321CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1971, 1973, 1980). Attachment and Loss, Volumes 1–3. London: Penguin
Brisby, T., Baker, S. & Hedderwick, T. (1997). Under the Influence: Coping with Parents who Drink too much – a Report on the Needs of the Children of Problem Drinking Parents. London: Alcohol Concern
Callingham, M. (1999). The AcoA fact finder. Addiction Today, Nov/Dec, 17–19
Chassin, L., Curran, P., Hussong, A. & Colder, C. (1996). The relation of parent alcoholism to adolescent substance use: a longitudinal follow-up study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 70–80Google Scholar
Cleaver, H., Unell, U. & Aldgate, J. (1999). Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity: The Impact of Parental Mental Illness, Problem Alcohol and Drug Use and Domestic Violence on Children's Development. London: Department of Health
Copello, A., Orford, J., Velleman, R., Templeton, L. & Krishnan, M. (2000a). Methods for reducing alcohol and drug related family harm in non-specialist settings. Journal of Mental Health, 9, 329–43Google Scholar
Copello, A., Templeton, L., Krishnan, M., Orford, J. & Velleman, R. (2000b). A treatment package to improve primary care services for the relatives of people with alcohol and drug problems: feasibility and preliminary evaluation. Addiction Research, 8, 471–84
Cork, M. (1969). The Forgotten Children. Toronto: Paperjacks
Cowen, E. & Work, W. (1988). Resilient children, psychosocial wellness and primary prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 16, 591–607CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crawford, V. (2001). Co-existing Problems of Mental Health and Substance Misuse (‘Dual Diagnosis’): A Review of Relevant Literature. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists, College Research Unit
Creighton, S. (1984). Trends in Child Abuse. London: NSPCC
Dore, M., Doris, J. & Wright, P. (1995). Identifying substance abuse in maltreating families: a child welfare challenge. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19, 531–43Google Scholar
El-Guebaly, N. & Offord, D. (1977). The offspring of alcoholics: a critical review. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 357–65CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El-Guebaly, N. & Offord, D. (1979). On being the offspring of an alcoholic: an update. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 3, 148–57Google Scholar
Falkov, A. (Ed.) (1998). Crossing Bridges: Training Resources for Working with Mentally Ill Parents and their Children. London: Department of Health
Garmezy, N. (1985). Stress-resistant children: the search for protective factors. In Recent Research in Developmental Psychopathology, ed. J. Stevenson, pp. 213–33. A book supplement to the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 4. Oxford: Pergamon
Hamilton, C. & Collins, J. (1981). The role of alcohol in wife beating and child abuse: a review of the literature. In Drinking and Crime, ed. J. Collins, pp. 253–87. New York: Guilford Press
Harbin, F. (2000). Therapeutic work with children of substance misusing parents. In Substance Misuse and Child Care, ed. F. Harbin & M. Murphy. Lyme Regis: Russell House
Heller, K., Sher, K. & Benson, C. (1982). Problems associated with risk overprediction in studies of offspring of alcoholics: implications for prevention. Clinical Psychology Review, 2, 183–200Google Scholar
HMSO (1992). Children Act Report – presented to Parliament by the Secretaries of State for Health and for Wales. London: HMSO
Huesman, L., Eron, L., Lefkowitz, M. & Walder, L. (1984). Stability of aggression over time and generations. Development Psychology, 20, 1120–34Google Scholar
Jarmas, A. & Kazak, A. (1992). Young adult children of alcoholic fathers: depressive experiences, coping styles and family systems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 244–51Google Scholar
Jones, D. C. & Houts, R. (1992). Parental drinking, parent-child communication, and social skills in young adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 53, 48–56Google Scholar
Kieman, K. & Wicks, M. (1990). Family Change and Future Policy. London: Family Policy Studies Centre
Knop, J., Teasdale, T., Schulsinger, F. & Goodwin, D. (1985). A prospective study of young men at risk for alcoholism: school behaviour and achievement. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 46, 273–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kolar, A., Brown, B., Haertzen, C. & Michaelson, B. (1994). Children of substance abusers: the life experiences of children of opiate addicts in methadone maintenance. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 20, 159–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathews, Z. & Velleman, R. (1997). New age travellers, urban slum dwellers, Aborigines and drug users: experiences of collecting sensitive data from marginalised communities. Bulletin de Methodologie Sociologique, 57, 65–85CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moos, R. & Billings, A. (1982). Children of alcoholics during the recovery process: alcoholic and matched control families. Addictive Behaviour, 7, 155–63CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moos, R., Finney, J. & Cronkite, R. (1990). Alcoholism Treatment: Context, Process and Outcome. New York: Oxford University Press
Murphy, J. M., Jellinek, M., Quinn, D., Smith, G., Poitrast, F. & Goshko, M. (1991). Substance abuse and serious child mistreatment: prevalence, risk, and outcome in a court sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 15, 197–211CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Children's Bureau (1998). Children of Drug-Using Parents. Highlight No. 163. London: National Children's Bureau
Nylander, I. (1960). Children of alcoholic fathers. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, Suppl. 121CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nylander, I. (1979). A 20-year prospective follow–up study of 2164 cases at the child guidance clinics in Stockholm. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, Suppl. 276Google Scholar
Nylander, I. & Rydelius, P. (1982). A comparison between children of alcoholic fathers from excellent versus poor social conditions. Acta Paedriatrica Scandinavica, 71, 809–13Google Scholar
Office for National Statistics (2001). Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adults Living in Private Households. London: Office for National Statistics
Orford, J. (1990). Alcohol and the family: an international review of the literature with implications for research and practice. In Research Advances in Alcohol and Drug Problems, Vol. 10, ed. L. Kozlowski, H. Annis, H. Cappell et al. pp. 81–155. New York: Plenum PressCrossRef
Orford, J. & Velleman, R. (1990). Offspring of parents with drinking problems: drinking and drug taking as young adults. British Journal of Addiction, 85, 779–94CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orford, J. & Velleman, R. (1991). The environmental intergenerational transmission of alcohol problems: a comparison of two hypotheses. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 64, 189–200Google Scholar
Orford, J. & Velleman, R. (1995). Childhood and adulthood influences on the adjustment of young adults with and without parents with drinking problems. Addiction Research, 3, 1–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orford, J., Natera, G., Davies, J. et al. (1998a). Stresses and strains for family members living with drinking or drug problems in England and Mexico. Salud Mental, 21, 1–13Google Scholar
Orford, J., Natera, G., Davies, J. et al. (1998b). Tolerate, engage or withdraw: a study of the structure of family coping in England and Mexico. Addiction, 93, 1799–813Google Scholar
Orford, J., Natera, G., Davies, J. et al. (1999). Social support in coping with alcohol and drug problems at home: findings from Mexican and English families. Addiction Research, 6, 395–420CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orford, J., Natera, G., Velleman, R. et al. (2001a). Ways of coping and the health of relatives facing drug and alcohol problems in Mexico and England. Addiction, 96, 761–74Google Scholar
Orford, J., Templeton, L., Copello, A., Velleman, R. & Bradbury, C. (2001b). Worrying for Drinkers in the Family: An Interview Study with Aboriginal Australians in Urban Areas and Remote Communities in the Northern Territory. Casuarina, Northern Territory: Living with Alcohol Program, Territory Health Services, Northern Territory
Pandina, R. & Johnson, V. (1990). Serious alcohol and drug problems among adolescents with a family history of alcoholism. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 51, 278–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, D. & Harford, T. (1988). Alcohol-related problems, marital disruption and depressive symptoms among adult children of alcohol abusers in the United States. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 49, 306–13Google Scholar
Powers, R. (1986). Aggression and violence in the family. In Violent Transactions, ed. A. Campbell & J. Gibbs, pp. 27–45. Oxford: Blackwells
Regier, D. A., Farmer, M. E., Rae, D. S. et al. (1990). Co-morbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse. Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 262, 2511–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reich, W., Earls, E. & Powell, J. (1988). A comparison of the home and social environments of children of alcoholic parents. British Journal of Addiction, 83, 831–9Google Scholar
Robins, L. (1966). Deviant Children Grown Up. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins
Robinson, W. & Hassall, J. (2000). Feasibility Study Report on a Specialist Family Alcohol Service. London: NSPCC and ARP
Roosa, M., Sandler, I., Beals, J. & Short, J. (1988). Risk status of adolescent children of problem drinking parents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 16, 225–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, M. (1980). Maternal Deprivation Reassessed, 2nd edn. London: Penguin
Rutter, M. (1985). Resistance in the face of adversity: protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 598–611CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, M. (1988). Longitudinal data in the study of causal processes: some uses and some pitfalls. In Studies of Psychosocial Risk: the Power of Longitudinal Data, ed. M. Rutter, pp. 210–44. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Schuckit, M. & Sweeney, S. (1987). Substance use and mental health problems among sons of alcoholics and controls. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 48, 528–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seilhamer, R., Jacob, T. & Dunn, N. (1993). The impact of alcohol consumption on parent–child relationships in families of alcoholics. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 54, 189–98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sher, K. (1991). Children of alcoholics: a critical appraisal of theory and research. Clinical Psychology Reviews, 14, 87–90Google Scholar
Steinglass, P., Bennett, L., Wolin, S. & Reiss, D. (1987). The Alcoholic Family. New York: Basic Books
Stockwell, T., Murphy, D. & Hogson, R. (1983). The severity of alcohol dependence questionnaire: its use, reliability and validity. British Journal of Addiction, 78, 145–55Google Scholar
Velleman, R. (1993). Alcohol and the Family. London: Institute of Alcohol Studies
Velleman, R. (1996). Alcohol and drug problems: an overview of the impact on children and the implications for practice. In Parental Psychiatric Disorder: Distressed Parents and their Families, ed. M. Göpfert, J. Webster & M. Seeman, pp. 233–43. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Velleman, R. (2000). Alcohol and the family. In Alcohol Use: The Handbook, ed. D. Cooper. Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical Press
Velleman, R. (2001a). Counselling For Alcohol Problems, 2nd edn. (Counselling in Practice Series). London: Sage
Velleman, R. (2001b). Working with substance misusing parents as part of Court Proceedings. Representing Children, 14, 36–48Google Scholar
Velleman, R. (2002). The Children of Problem Drinking Parents. Executive Summary Series. London: Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour
Velleman, R. & Orford, J. (1984). Intergenerational transmission of alcohol problems: hypotheses to be tested. In Alcohol-Related Problems, ed. N. Krasner, J. S. Madden & R. J. Walker, pp. 97–113. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons
Velleman, R. & Orford, J. (1990). Young adult offspring of parents with drinking problems: recollections of parents' drinking and its immediate effects. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 29, 297–317CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velleman, R. & Orford, J. (1993a). The importance of family discord in explaining childhood problems in the children of problem drinkers. Addiction Research, 1, 39–57Google Scholar
Velleman, R. & Orford, J. (1993b). The adulthood adjustment of offspring of parents with drinking problems. British Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 503–16Google Scholar
Velleman, R. & Orford, J. (1999). Risk and Resilience: Adults who were the Children of Problem Drinkers. London: Harwood
Velleman, R. & Templeton, L. (2002). Family interventions in substance misuse. In Working with Substance Mis-users: A Guide to Theory and Practice, ed. A. McBride & T. Peterson, pp. 145–53. London: Routledge
Velleman, R. & Townsend, L. (1997). The children of drug misusing parents. Alcohol Update, 32, 2–3Google Scholar
Velleman, R., Bennett, G., Miller, T., Orford, J., Rigby, K. & Tod, A. (1993). The families of problem drug users: the accounts of fifty close relatives. Addiction, 88, 1275–83CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velleman, R., Copello, A. & Maslin, J. (Ed.) (1998). Living with Drink: Women who live with Problem Drinkers. London: Longmans
Watts, P. (2000). Solution focussed brief therapy used in a substance misuse setting. In Substance Misuse and Child Care, ed. F. Harbin & M. Murphy, pp. 95–110. Lyme Regis: Russell House
Werner, E.a (1986). Resilient offspring of alcoholics: a longitudinal study from birth to age 18. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 47, 34–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, M. & Prinz, R. (1987). Parental alcoholism and childhood psychopathology. Psychological Bulletin, 102, 204–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, C. (1980). The family. In Women and Alcohol, ed. Camberwell Council on Alcoholism, pp. 101–32. London: Tavistock Press
Wolin, S., Bennett, L., Noonan, D. & Teitelbaum, M. (1980). Disrupted family rituals: a factor in the intergenerational transmission of alcoholism. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 41, 199–214CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×