Familier med alkoholproblemer—gør det en forskel for børnenes voksenliv?

Abstract

Helle Lindgaard (2005): Adult children of alcoholics: are they different?. Nordisk Psykologi, 2005, 2, 107–129.

The aim of the present study was to identify the general characteristics of adults who have grown up in families with alcohol problems compared to adults from families without alcohol problems. Since most current research on this topic is very fragmentary, a multivariate model was used in this study.

The participants were 316 adults. Of the total sample, 127 (40%) indicated that they were raised in families where at least one parent had an alcohol problem (ACOA). The remaining 189 participants, who came from families where neither parent had an alcohol problem, were placed in the non-ACOA group.

ACOAs reported a greater degree of impairment in their families of origin than did their non-ACOA counterparts. In addition, the level of social support is lower or entirely absent in families with an alcoholic parent. In adult life ACOAs are characterized by an increased risk of developing psychological and social distress, with symptoms including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicidal behaviour, low self-esteem and difficulties with intimacy and dependence on others. As far as personality dimensions are concerned, there is a higher incidence among ACOAs of neuroticism and introversion. Furthermore, ACOAs are much more prone to develop alcohol problems of their own, and to be involved in a relationship with an alcoholic. ACOAs are also more prone to use maladaptive coping strategies and to have unstable defence mechanisms.

Thus it is strongly indicated, that parental alcohol problems increase the psychological malfunctioning of the adult offspring.

Key words:

• Alcoholic families
• adult children of alcoholics
• psychosocial functioning