The interpersonal and emotional consequences of being an adult child of an alcoholic family in Kenya

The problem. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of being an adult child of an alcoholic in Kenya in the areas of alcohol use, drug use, physical punishment, communication and self-esteem. The study looked into childhood problems experienced by the adult children from alcoholic families in the areas of assuming responsibility, causing problems, and being detached and sensitive. The study also examined problems of trusting, achieving intimacy, working with others, identifying and expressing feelings, and feeling confused and depressed problems which the adult child experiences in adult life.; Method. A causal comparative method was employed with 64 subjects. The sample was given the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test to determine which adults came from alcoholic or non-alcoholic family backgrounds. Forty-nine subjects came from alcoholic families while 15 subjects came from non-alcoholic families. Both groups were given the Kisiel-Kositany Family Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to test for significant differences. The statistical procedures used were the t-test and the Pearson r correlational coefficient.; Results. The first three hypotheses compared the Kenyan adult children from alcoholic families and adult children from non-alcoholic families in the areas of alcohol use, drug use, physical punishment, communication and low self-esteem. The Kenyan adult children from alcoholic families were found significantly lower in reported self-esteem as compared to adult children from non-alcoholic families. There was a significant difference in the areas of reported childhood and adulthood problems between the groups. In the areas of alcohol use, drug use, physical punishment and communication there was no significant difference between the groups.; The fourth hypothesis concerned only the Kenyan adult children from alcoholic families. It was expected that there would be a positive correlation between parental alcoholism and alcohol use, physical punishment, communication and low self-esteem problems. There was a significant correlation between parental alcoholism and use among Kenyan adult children from alcoholic families.