| Due to the increase in the large numbers of children growing up in homes with parents who struggle with alcoholism, more attention has recently been given to the physical and mental health of children of alcohol-dependent parents. Even though the substance abuse, family, and child development research have more recently begun to notice and understand the psychopathology of children of parents with alcoholism, there continues to be a lack in evidence based approaches to treating these children's specific problems. An extensive review of the literature reveals that children of parents with alcoholism suffer from a variety of emotional, behavioral, and social problems due to the increased chance of abuse, neglect, and chaos provided by the family environment impacted by alcoholism. Research supports that the family dynamics, behaviors of parents with alcoholism, and the parent-child relationship are all major factors in determining how a child might develop specific characteristics for relating to others and develop particular problematic thought processes, behavioral issues, and difficulty regulating emotion evident at both home and school. Young children of parents living with alcoholism are at risk for developing substance abuse and other unhealthy ways for coping as a result of their chaotic and dysfunctional home environment. These children are observed in schools, extracurricular activities, and home environments as typically insecure, fearful, anxious, sad, aggressive, withdrawn, or overachieving. While these characteristics have been noted throughout the literature, mental health professionals continue to lack specialized treatment programs targeting children affected by alcoholism. The current dissertation offers professionals the opportunity to gain knowledge regarding the psychosocial functioning of children of parents suffering from alcoholism in relation to their family and peer relationships, while also providing information on the small number of treatment modalities described in the literature today. The included manual provides practitioners with a step-by-step group play therapy program designed for young children of parents with alcoholism. The goals of this intervention are: improving social functioning, increasing trust, security, and self-esteem, enhancing coping skills for emotion regulation, and facilitating disclosure of trauma and distress. Additional benefits include decreasing aggression, secrecy, shame, and guilt that may be associated with the family's struggle with alcoholism. |
