| Abstract [eng] |
Introduction: Excessive parental alcohol usage often causes tremendous harm to the children living in families in which one or both caregivers have substance abuse disorder. Parental alcoholism is a common problem that affects a great number of children worldwide. Aim: To assess how substance abuse of parents affects their children’s health. The aim was to collect data from already published papers to evaluate the effects of parental alcoholism on the development of somatic and mental health problems, academic performance, and personality. To assess protective factors and possible ways to reduce the harm of parental alcoholism. Lastly, to evaluate the system of support for families with parental alcoholism in Finland and the USA. Methods: A literature review was made based on 54 reference studies. Studies were chosen from the PubMed database and included publications from the years 2000-to 2021. Results: All studies collected found internalizing and externalizing symptoms to be more prevalent in children of alcoholics. Academic performance was negatively affected compared to children of non-alcoholics. Different personality traits were discovered ranging from externalizing impulsive personality to high functioning reward-sensitive children. Protective factors of adverse childhood experiences included active coping, activation of brain areas associated with increased resilience, family unity, and attachment model. Conclusions: Parental alcoholism can interplay with a child‘s neuropsychological development and increase the risk for behavioral, somatic, and psychological disorders such as conduct disorders, depression, and alexithymia. Even though these problems are more prevalent in children of alcoholics, not all children are equally affected. Resilience and promoting the development of active coping can dampen the effects of parental alcoholism. |
