- Collection:
- Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University Theses and Dissertations
- Title:
- Impact of parental alcoholism on children: a comparative study of the psychosocial development of alcoholic and nonalcoholic children, 1991
- Creator:
- Levitt, Susan Moscow
- Date of Original:
- 1991-07-01
- Subject:
- Degrees, Academic
Dissertations, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
dissertations - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- The purpose of this research paper was to provide a profile of children of alcoholics as an identifiable group with special needs as compared with children of non-alcoholic parents. The Children of Alcoholics Screen Test (C.A.S.T.), a thirty item inventory questionnaire that measured children's feelings, attitudes, perceptions, and experiences related to their parents' drinking behavior was administered to two groups of children ages 9-18. One group was composed of children, in a clinical setting, of clinically-diagnosed alcoholics or self-reported children of alcoholics. A comparative or control group was randomly selected from "typical� classroom settings with children who had not been previously identified as children of alcoholics. It was hypothesized that the children of alcoholics would score significantly higher on the C.A.S.T. compared to the control groups. The major findings of this study revealed children of alcoholics encountered developmental aspects with environmental implications different from those met by the children of non-alcoholic parents. Implications of these findings revealed increased awareness and early identification of children of alcoholics would result in more accurate diagnosis in the school and clinical settings. Services could then be effectively designed to meet the needs of these special children. If not, the effects of this disease could at some time affect us all. Screening opportunities should be everywhere that clinicians practice. By researching the impact parental alcoholism has on children we help prevent future children of alcoholics from actualizing their high-risk potential of becoming an alcoholic.
Degree type: thesis
Degree name: Master of Social Work (MSW)
Department: School of Social Work - Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:1991_levitt_susan_moscow.pdf
- Holding Institution:
- Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
- Rights:
-
