Effectiveness of Guidance Programme on Impact of Parental Alcoholism among Adolescents in Selected Schools, Mangaluru, Karnataka

Alcoholism is a commonest growing disease of today’s modern society and affected to millions of Indians. Living with an alcoholic parent can have significant impact on adolescent leaving them into risk. The adolescent of alcoholic parents develop a sort of negligence from their parent make them to be isolated. They grow up with low self esteem, dysfunctional family interaction, insecurity and maladaptive coping is higher risk for them become an alcoholic. The present study aimed to find the effectiveness of guidance programme on impact of parental alcoholism among adolescents in selected schools, Mangaluru, Karnataka. An evaluative approach with one group pre-test - post test design was used. Purposive sampling method was used to select the adolescents of alcoholics. Out of 1420 adolescents screened by CAST and a total of 350 adolescents aged 12 – 15 years were identified as adolescents of alcoholic parent/s. The instruments such as Rosenberg self esteem scale, family interaction pattern scale, security inventory rating scale and coping check list was used for the data collection. The computed inferential statistics revealed that the guidance programme has made significant improvement in the self esteem (t = 60.149), family interaction (t = 30.082), security feeling (t = 30.082), and in coping (t =11.679) of adolescents of alcoholic parents. Computed Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation revealed that there was a low negative correlation(r = -0.041) between self esteem and family interaction, low negative correlation (r = -0.068) between security feelings with family interaction and low positive correlation between the levels of security feeling with self esteem (r = 0.116). Computed Chi Square showed that there was significant association between the selected demographic variable religion ,self esteem, sex, type of family and incomes with pre test scores of family interaction. The study concluded that the guidance program was highly effective in improving the self esteem, family interaction pattern, security felling and coping of adolescents of alcoholic parents.

“I Feel It In My Heart When My Parents Fight”: Experiences of 7–9-Year-Old Children of Alcoholics

Children are vulnerable when exposed to parental alcohol abuse. Although much is known about children of alcoholics (COA), research examining the experiences of younger COA is scarce. To gain knowledge of the consequences for these children, it is important to ask the children themselves. This study explored the consequences for a child of having an alcoholic parent, from the point of view of 7–9-year-old COA. Eighteen children were interviewed, whose alcoholic parent was undergoing treatment, using a vignette. In the analysis, using qualitative content analysis, the findings show that the children of this young age had much experiences and took a great responsibility for their alcoholic parent, and the family. The most significant feeling of the children was a feeling of sadness. They tried to control the situation in different ways. They wished for a change in the future, but despite problems in the family they described things they did together with a loving parent. Implications include the importance of listening to and supporting all COA, also children as young as 7–9 years old. Further studies should address the support that can and should be offered to COA.

Comparing Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Parents on the Family Unpredictability Scale

Research findings and clinical observations suggest that families with an alcoholic parent are more unpredictable. Alcoholic parents ( n = 25, 68% men, 68% Euro-American, M age = 38.6 yr.) and community parents ( n = 27, 52% men, 70% Euro-American, M age = 38.8 yr.) completed the self-report Family Unpredictability Scale of Ross and Hill. Alcoholic parents reported significantly higher (less predictability) scores on the subscales of Nurturance, Finances, and Discipline, as well as on the Total Family Unpredictability Scale ( ps < .01). This appears to be the first study on family unpredictability and parental alcoholism in which parental reports of multiple dimensions of unpredictability are used. We provide suggestions for research and clinical uses of the scale, especially pertaining to families with an alcoholic parent.

Postmodernist Psychobabble: The Recovery Movement for Individual Self-Esteem in Mental Health Since World War II

By the middle 1990s the recovery movement for personal self-esteem and, thus, mental health for the individual, had reached a new level of penetration into American culture. Many commentators and interpreters of contemporary affairs judged the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, a potential recruit. As the archetypical adult child of an alcoholic parent—the product of a dysfunctional family if there ever was one, according to the movement's clerics-Clinton seemed lacking in selfesteem. His painful childhood was the culprit. And recovery was the solution. In a word, he was too anxious to please his critics—the classic trademark of the adult child of an alcoholic parent. Contemporary therapists taught that such persons were placaters of their critics because of the emotional abuse that their parents had inflicted on them, often for no apparent reason. The damaged child, regardless of his or her chronological age, could not, without appropriate therapy and personal “recovery,” ever get over such incidents, which were seared into their psychological and neurophysiological apparatus.

Childhood Trauma and the Origins of Paranormal Belief: A Constructive Replication

Previous research suggests that, as a group, people who believe in the paranormal tend to have a history of traumatic events in childhood. This relationship has been incorporated into Irwin's 1993 model of the psychological origins and functions of paranormal belief. A constructive replication of the relationship and a test of Irwin's model was undertaken in relation to a specific context, namely, a childhood spent with an alcoholic parent. Compared to 89 control participants, a sample of 32 adults who were children of alcoholics had stronger beliefs in witchcraft, superstitions, and precognition. The results are discussed in relation to two components of Irwin's model.