Family climate and parent-child relationships: Recollections from a nonclinical sample of adult children of alcoholic fathers

Abstract

Past family climate and past parent-child relationships of a nonclinical sample of young adult children of alcoholic fathers (n = 87) were compared to a sociodemographically similar sample of young adults with nonalcoholic parents (n = 106). Self-reports indicated that, compared to respondents from nonalcoholic families, respondents with alcoholic fathers described a more negative family climate with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of cohesion and expressiveness. Adult children of alcoholics described more negative relationships with their alcoholic fathers. However, contrary to clinical literature, adult children of alcoholics' descriptions of their relationships with their nonalcoholic mothers did not differ from the descriptions provided by young adults with nonalcoholic parents. Daughters of alcoholic fathers reported more negative relationships with their fathers in the areas of role performance, affective expression, and control than did sons. Implications for practice include reinforcing the nurturing relationship between nonalcoholic mothers and their children in families with alcoholic fathers.

Mothers’ Versus Fathers’ Alcohol Abuse and Attachment in Adult Daughters of Alcoholics

“…Bowlby (1969Bowlby ( , 1980 suggested that interactions with caregivers contribute to the development of internal working models about the world. During periods of active abuse, alcohol-abusing parents may be inconsistent, insensitive, angry, and rejecting (MacPherson et al, 2001;Tweed & Ruff, 1996). The inconsistent behavior displayed by some alcohol-abusing parents may convey to their children that they are unworthy.…”

Family Process as a Mediator of the Negative Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Young Adult Dating Relationships

“…Many descriptions of alcoholic families include these characteristics at this disturbed end of the continuum: poor boundaries, lack of shared emotional focus, tyrannical control, chaos, and unresolved conflict. (Beavers, 1981;Tweed & Ryff, 1996).…”

Mother–Daughter and Father–Daughter Attachment of College Student ACOAs

“…During periods of intense use, the alcohol-misusing parent may be emotionally and physically unavailable to their children (Eiden, Edwards, and Leonard, 2002;Tweed and Ryff, 1996). Non-substance-user parents may be preoccupied by their partner's addiction and may have difficulty maintaining an emotionally supportive home (e.g., Miller, Smyth, and Mudar, 1999).…”