Life events, coping styles, and psychological well-being in children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol

Family climate in children living with parents who harmfully consume alcohol

The family climate has notable impact on cognitive, emotional, behavioural, social and physical development of children and adolescents and can be influenced by parents' health status. The present study aimed at evaluating whether living with a parent with alcohol use disorder negatively influences the perceived emotional family climate, parental attitudes and internal representations of family relationships. Forty-five children living with a parent with alcohol use disorder and 45 controls, matched for sex and age, completed the Level of Expressed Emotion Scale and the Family Attitudes Questionnaire. Their significant parent completed the Parental Attitudes Scale. The results suggested that living with a parent with an alcohol use disorder increased the risk of having perceived higher levels of emotional response, attitude towards illness and expectations from their parents; it also increased the probability of being exposed to lower parental pleasure and of having represented worse family relationships. Emotion regulation interventions might be useful to protect children living with a parent with alcohol use disorder from a potential chaotic and unpredictable family environment.

O Sofrimento Emocional de Filhos de Alcoolistas: Uma Compreensão Psicanalítica Winnicottiana

Resumo Os filhos de alcoolistas sofrem com os inúmeros dilemas provenientes da relação conturbada com o progenitor, destacando-se a violência doméstica, a desqualificação moral, a insegurança e as dificuldades financeiras. A fim de acessar os sentidos afetivo-emocionais da experiência de ter convivido com um pai alcoolista ao longo da vida, realizamos uma pesquisa qualitativa psicanalítica. Foram realizadas entrevistas individuais com 12 filhos adultos, iniciadas por uma Narrativa Interativa (NI), usada como recurso investigativo que visa estabelecer um campo lúdico-ficcional para facilitar as associações livres dos participantes. Foi criada uma NI para este estudo, cuja trama se desenrola em torno da expectativa de um filho que aguarda a chegada do pai alcoolizado, momento em que a trama é interrompida para que o participante complete o seu desfecho. Como procedimento de registro, o pesquisador elaborou Narrativas Transferenciais que descrevem cada encontro e sua tonalidade afetiva. A análise interpretativa do material narrativo resultou em quatro campos de sentidos afetivo-emocionais: “Sua Majestade: o Alcoolista!” que descreve o lugar ocupado pelo pai na cena familiar; “Papai, quem é você?”, campo que alude à experiência desorganizadora desencadeada pela imprevisibilidade ambiental; “Só me resta sobreviver!”, o qual descreve as estratégias defensivas mobilizadas pelos filhos de alcoolistas; e “Desejo ter nas mãos a minha história!”, que alude ao resgate de uma vida autêntica e dotada de sentido. As consequências nefastas do alcoolismo parental para a saúde mental dos filhos foram discutidas à luz da psicanálise winnicottiana, o que revelou um profundo sofrimento emocional que interpela os pesquisadores sobre práticas profissionais afinadas às necessidades dessa população.

Parent and child co-resident status among an Australian community-based sample of methamphetamine smokers

INTRODUCTION

Children in families where there is substance misuse are at high risk of being removed from their parents' care. This study describes the characteristics of a community sample of parents who primarily smoke methamphetamine and their child or children's residential status.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Baseline data from a prospective study of methamphetamine smokers ('VMAX'). Participants were recruited via convenience, respondent-driven and snowball sampling. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate associations between parental status; fathers' or mothers' socio-demographic, psychosocial, mental health, alcohol, methamphetamine use dependence, alcohol use and child or children's co-residential status.

RESULTS

Of the 744 participants, 394 (53%) reported being parents; 76% (88% of fathers, 57% of mothers) reported no co-resident children. Compared to parents without co-resident children, parents with co-resident children were more likely to have a higher income. Fathers with co-resident children were more likely to be partnered and not to have experienced violence in the previous 6 months. Mothers with co-resident children were less likely to have been homeless recently or to have accessed treatment for methamphetamine use.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of non-co-resident children was much higher than previously reported in studies of parents who use methamphetamine; irrespective of whether in or out of treatment. There is a need for accessible support and services for parents who use methamphetamine; irrespective of their child or children's co-residency status. Research is needed to determine the longitudinal impact of methamphetamine use on parents' and children's wellbeing and to identify how parents with co-resident children (particularly mothers) can be supported.

Experiences and reactions of adolescent offspring to their fathers' heavy drinking: A qualitative study from an urban metropolis in India

The study assessed the experiences and reactions of adolescent offspring of alcohol-dependent fathers (N = 15) to their fathers' heavy drinking. Data were analyzed qualitatively, identifying themes and sub-themes. Respondent accounts elaborated these themes with reference to explanations, experiences, reactions to their fathers' drinking. Gender differences were notable: girls were more likely to report abuse, shouldering of family responsibilities, physiological and other reactions, ambivalent feelings toward father, sadness and worthlessness. Boys were more likely to react with anger and/or aggression. The findings should guide the development of gender-sensitive family-based interventions for the adolescents, with special attention to psychological, social and legal dimensions.

Association between psychological resilience and subjective well-being in older adults living with chronic illness

We aimed to determine the impact of resilience on well-being in chronically ill adults, hypothesizing that resilient participants would have higher quality of life, life satisfaction, and happiness and less psychological distress than those with low resilience. Patients who received treatment for a chronic illness at Baylor Scott & White Health and self-identified an informal caregiver (nonpaid friend/family member who provides regular care) were eligible. After the Center for Community Research and Development administered a phone survey from March to June 2017, we built linear and ordinal logistic regression models to assess the effect of resilience on well-being while adjusting for health, finances, marital status, and gender. Forty-one participants completed the study. The average age was 67 ± 10 years; the most common illness was heart failure (39%). Participants had high resilience (median 4 [quartile 1 = 3, quartile 3 = 5], scale: 1-5), low psychological distress (4 [2, 7], scale: 0-24), high quality of life (8 [5, 9], scale: 0-10) and life satisfaction (5 ± 2, scale: 1-7), and 81% were pretty/very happy. The effect of resilience was significant in the expected directions in unadjusted analyses. After accounting for demographic, social, and clinical factors, resilience remained highly significant for psychological distress and happiness (b = -1.91, P = 0.002; odds ratio = 4.71, P = 0.003, respectively). Psychological resilience may be a resource to preserve well-being for chronically ill individuals.