NCJ Number
139681
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 215-222
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A sample of 231 high school sophomores and juniors in a small midwestern city completed an 11-item questionnaire for a study designed to examine the degree to which environmental variables and measures of depression and anxiety might differentiate between nonclinical, adolescent children of alcoholics (COAs) and their peers from nonalcoholic homes (CONAs).
Abstract
Several environmental and personal variables that discriminate nonclinical COAs from their peers from nonalcoholic homes were identified. COAs were significantly more likely to come from "broken" families and to have lived in abusive and stressful home environments. The COAs scored significantly higher than the CONAs on depression and anxiety, but these differences were small relative to the differences found on the environmental variables. Study findings suggest that alcoholism in the family may have an indirect effect on children because of its impact on the overall home environment. A significantly greater proportion of girls (33 percent) than boys (19 percent) identified themselves as COAs. Future research needs to address potential gender differences. 20 references