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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 10/2016

01-10-2016 | Original Paper

The effects of maternal alcohol use disorders on childhood relationships and mental health

Author: Joseph D. Wolfe

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 10/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite millions of children living in the turmoil of their parents’ active alcoholism or the aftermath of past abuse, research to date has not (1) provided a comprehensive examination of the effects of maternal alcohol use disorders (AUDs) on children’s social ties outside of their relationships with parents, or (2) considered whether the number and quality of childhood social ties alter the effects of maternal AUDs on children’s mental health.

Method

Using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 Children and Young Adults, analysis examined the influence of maternal AUDs on the number and quality of children’s ties with siblings, extended family and family friends, peers, and neighborhood members. The analysis also considered how children’s social ties influenced the association between maternal AUDs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems.

Results

Children of alcoholic mothers had similarly sized networks but more distant relationships with siblings and friends, negative interactions with classmates, and isolating neighborhoods. Controlling for these aspects of children’s social ties substantially reduced mental health disparities between children of alcoholic mothers and other children.

Conclusions

Findings support the view that maternal alcohol use disorders have the potential to damage children’s mental health while also setting into motion long-term relationship problems. Future research should examine the networks of children who experience parental AUDs to further clarify the social processes that link parental AUDs to children’s mental health.
Footnotes
1
The 1984, 1985, and 1988 surveys did not ask about tolerance, and the 1994 survey did not ask about craving.
 
2
All other covariates are held at their observed values during post-estimation.
 
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Metadata
Title
The effects of maternal alcohol use disorders on childhood relationships and mental health
Author
Joseph D. Wolfe
Publication date
01-10-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 10/2016
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1264-x

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