Parental problem drinking and adolescent externalizing behaviors: The mediating role of family functioning

Abstract

This study explored relationships among parental problem drinking, family functioning, and adolescent externalizing behaviors. The unique effects of maternal and paternal drinking were examined separately for girls and boys. The sample included 14-19 year old U.S. adolescents (Mage=16.15; SD=.75; 52.5% female) and their parents. Participants completed surveys in the spring of 2007 and 2008. Structural equation modelling was used to conduct path analysis models. Results showed the distinctive and adverse effects of parental problem drinking on adolescent alcohol use, drug use, rule breaking, and aggressive behavior over time. Findings also highlighted the indirect and mediating roles of family functioning. For both girls and boys, family cohesion mediated the relationship between parental problem drinking and adolescent externalizing behaviors. For girls, adolescent-father communication predicted increased externalizing behaviors over time. These findings draw attention to the importance of exploring adolescent and parent gender when examining parental problem drinking, family functioning, and externalizing behaviors.

Problematic familial alcohol use and adolescents’ heavy drinking: can conditions in school compensate for the increased risk of heavy drinking among adolescents from families with problematic alcohol use?

“…evidence of the negative influence of parental alcohol abuse on offspring health and wellbeing is ample. Individuals brought up in families with problematic alcohol use have, for instance, increased risks of adolescent behavioural problems, delinquency, mental health problems and poor school performance (Berg, Bäck, Vinnerljung, & Hjern, 2016;Christoffersen & Soothill, 2003;Finan, Schulz, Gordon, & Ohannessian, 2015;Pisinger, Bloomfield, & Tolstrup, 2016). In a survey targeting 1000 randomly selected Swedish 16-19-year-olds, about 20 percent of the adolescents were classified as having parents with alcohol problems.…”

“…The transmission of familial drinking patterns involves many different factors. Modelling of familial behaviour and a negative influence of familial drinking on parenting practices are commonly put forward as important mechanisms (Finan et al, 2015;Latendresse et al, 2008), as are inherited psychological and biological predispositions that may negatively interact with environmental factors and put some individuals at greater risk for developing problematic alcohol use than others (Johnson & Leff, 1999).…”

Reciprocal Relations Between Parental Problem Drinking and Children's Sleep: The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity

“…Other estimates indicate that over 40% of individuals are exposed to PPD at some point during their youth (Grant, 2000). PPD has been associated with many negative outcomes in children and adolescents, including poor cognitive functioning (D ıaz et al, 2008), socioemotional problems (Keller, Cummings, Davies, & Mitchell, 2008), and externalizing behaviors (Finan, Schulz, Gordon, & Ohannessian, 2015). PPD has rarely been investigated in relation to children's sleep.…”

Adolescent Psychological Functioning and Membership in Latent Adolescent–Parent Communication Dual Trajectory Classes

“…Similarly, Finan et al. () found adolescent–father communication to predict later rule‐breaking behavior and aggressive behavior for girls, but not for boys. Neither adolescent–mother communication nor adolescent–father communication predicted any of the internalizing behaviors or externalizing behaviors for boys in the Ohannessian et al.…”

“…For example, positive, open communication between adolescents and their parents has been shown to be associated with indicators of adolescent psychological health and adjustment including positive self‐esteem, empathy, and academic achievement (Enger, Howerton, & Cobbs, ; Heller, Robinson, Henry, & Plunkett, ; Masselam, Marcus, & Stunkard, ; Yu et al., ). In contrast, problems in communication between adolescents and their parents have been linked to indicators of maladjustment, including anxiety, depression, delinquency, aggressive behavior, alcohol use (including binge drinking), and drug use (Cernkovich & Giordano, ; Finan, Schulz, Gordon, & Ohannessian, ; Kafka & London, ; Ohannessian, ,b; Ohannessian, ; Ohannessian, Flannery, Simpson, & Russell, ; Russell et al., ; Wang et al., ; Yu et al., ).…”