Children of Alcoholics When Many People Think

Children of Alcoholics

When many people think of substance abuse, they think of illegal drugs such as marijuana or cocaine, but the truth is that many young people, including young teenagers and even some younger children, consume alcohol, and in alarming amounts. While the trend was temporarily reversed in the 1980's, numbers have risen since then along with an increase in accompanying serious problems (Wodarski, 2004). This has caused professionals to question whether the preventive efforts we have made, such as DARE programs, have been effective or not (Wodarski, 2004).

Unfortunately for today's youth, many are particularly vulnerable to substance abuse, which often starts with alcohol, because of other factors in their lives. Fortunately, however, the factors that make them amenable to alcohol abuse also make them amenable to programs that can identify them and provide preventative strategies (Wodarski, 2004). These strategies, however, have to be carefully chosen so that they are both developmentally and culturally sensitive, and they need to address the social and environmental factors that contribute to the youths' susceptibility to substance abuse (Wodarski, 2004).

One clearly defined environmental influence is the family. In families where one or both parents abuse alcohol, the children are more likely to show behavioral problems and will show lower achievement in school than children without such a family history (Cadaviera, 2003). This pattern has been studied. Researchers found that youth were more likely to abuse alcohol if the mother drank excessively or if the mother became angry when drinking than if the father did. This fact was magnified if the youth avoided his or her mother when she was drinking, Youth who grew up in such homes were more likely to have other difficulties along with alcohol dependence, including a higher risk for use of other drugs, increase risk for developing conduct disorder, and increased risk for developing a major depressive disorder. Clearly, family history has a significant impact on development of alcohol dependence in youth.

While research shows that early intervention for youthful alcohol abuse can be effective, these children are not always identified. While most pediatricians believe they can help prevent alcohol abuse in their patients, in fact their efforts were inconsistent, didn't go far enough, and typically did not use strategies known to be effective. Unfortunately the physicians believed that their diagnostic and management skills for youthful alcohol dependence were better than they were (Marcell, 2003). Researchers would like to see pediatricians upgrade their skills in this area so they can spot youth at risk and direct them to effective counseling (Marcell, 2003).

One approach that shows promise is based on what researchers call the "social influence prevention model" (SIPM). This has been shown to be an effective intervention for a number of substance abuse problems, including alcohol abuse (Wodarski, 2004). SIPM recognizes that many social pressures influence teens regarding the choices they will make. Some of the core components include resistance skills training, stress reduction, and improved skills regarding decision-making (Wodarski, 2004). SIPM focuses on helping the youth develop resilience in the face of difficulties along with teaching specific skills to make the best choices possible, and downplays focusing on specific risk-factors or psychological influences. It is flexible enough that it can be tailored for use with specific groups, making it culturally flexible (Wodarski, 2004).