Pozytywna i negatywna adaptacja dzieci i młodzieży rodziców uzależnionych od alkoholu

Association between Psychopathological Symptoms and Aggression and Selected Biochemical Parameters in Adolescents with Behavioural and Emotional Disturbances

Behavioural and emotional disturbances (F92.8) are the most recognized disorders in a developmental psychiatry. As the problem is still alarmingly increasing, the searches for their etiopathogenesis and more effective preventing and therapy methods are required. The aim of the study was to assess the association between the quality of life, some psychopathological features, concentrations of selected immunoprotective (brain-derived neurotrophin, BDNF), and endocrine (cortisol, F) factors while adolescent disturbances. The study was performed in 123 inpatients of a psychiatric ward with F92.8 diagnosis, aged 13-18 years. The complete patients' interview, physical examination, and routine laboratory tests, including serum F and BDNF tests, were performed. All patients completed standardized questionnaires to estimate: the severity of psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90), the level of aggression (Buss-Perry). The changes in the plasma BDNF and F concentrations were shown in patients raised in foster homes and institutions. The significantly lower BDNF was observed in youth from foster and suicide-experienced families. The more severe psychopathological symptoms, especially aggression and hostility, were found in these ones, who abused alcohol, attempted suicide, had lower self-esteem and cognitive processes, and were lacking safety in dysfunctional families.

Characteristics of selected traits of Adult Children of Alcoholics in the context of theirparents’ attitudes

Children growing up in families with alcohol problems experience many emotions and events that are inadequate to their age. All these experiences are related to their subsequent functioning. Having a mother or a father suffering from alcohol dependence has a big impact on who one becomes in the future and how he/she perceives the world and other people.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of self-esteem, satisfaction with life as well as basic hope in the so-called Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoA), and the attitudes of their parents.

The study involved 49 persons, aged from 18 to 70. To obtain the necessary data we used the Questionnaire Survey for Adult Children of Alcoholics, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-R) and Re-trospective Assessment of Parental Attitudes Questionnaire (KPR-Roc).

The results show a positive correlation between the level of self-esteem and life satisfaction, and the attitudes of autonomy and acceptance in the mothers of our subjects. Also, life satisfaction, self-esteem and basic hope proved to be interrelated, i.e. an increase within one coincided with an increase in the other two. In addition, our results show that experiencing violence in the families of persons with the ACoA syndrome significantly correlates with the retrospective assessment of their parents' attitudes. Fathers in the so-called violent families are perceived as excessively demanding, yet inconsistent, while mothers as more rejecting and less protecting.