Prevention programmes for children of problem drinkers: A review

Abstract

It is well established that children of problem drinkers have an increased risk of developing mental health problems, including drinking and drug misuse problems, depression, eating disorders, conduct disorders, and delinquency. However, compared to the hundreds of studies that have examined the effects of parental problem drinking on their children, the genetics of problem drinking, and the physical and mental problems of these children, it is disappointing that so few studies have explored the possibilities of prevention. Despite all the research on children of problem drinkers, we have no usable operationalizations of what problem drinking is, or when a child can be defined as a child of a problem drinker. Furthermore, no valid screening or severity assessment instruments are available; there is no solution for the ethical dilemma of the need to involve parents while these parents are at the same time the problem; very few theory-driven prevention programmes have been developed; very little is known about protective factors that could be the focus of prevention programmes; and we have no programmes that can be considered to be 'evidence based'. This paper describes these problems, presents an overview of the prevention research in this area, and gives some directions for future research.

Effectiveness of a Culturally Adapted Strengthening Families Program 12–16 Years for High-Risk Irish Families

“…Fortunately, prevention science has produced a number of effective substance use programs that are now listed on websites (NIDA, CSAP's NREPP, and UNODC). Comparative effectiveness reviews (Cuijpers 2003(Cuijpers , 2005Foxcroft et al 2003;Midford 2009;Miller and Hendrie 2008) have found that the most effective programs are family interventions that target high risk and disadvantaged groups using behavioural change techniques based on cognitive social learning theory. Also, the Strengthening Families Program 10-14 Years (Spoth and Redmond 1996;Spoth et al 2001) was found by the Cochrane Reviews at Oxford University to be twice as effective as any school-based substance abuse prevention program for teens (Foxcroft et al 2003).…”

Substance use: Determinants and opportunities for prevention in the family and school context

“…48 We can conclude that only little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of selective prevention for children of parents with problematic substance use. 49 Finally, students in special and lower education form a high-risk group for developing problematic substance use. 50 Several schoolbased prevention programs have been developed for this group.…”

Die Förderung von Resilienz und Schutzfaktoren bei Kindern suchtkranker Eltern

“…Dazu gehören zentrale Schutzfaktoren der kindlichen Entwicklung wie der Kohärenz-sinn [23] [17] dern ist eine weitere Komponente. Bislang fehlt aber eine ausdrückliche Über-prüfung der Wirksamkeit dieser Maß-nahmen zur Resilienzförderung, das heißt, es gibt bislang kaum eine wissenschaftliche Evidenz dafür, dass diese Programme das hohe Risiko der Kinder aus suchtbelasteten Familien wirksam reduzieren [9,35,36].…”