Children of parents who abuse alcohol are at increase risk for emotional, behavioral, and social problems and interventions are needed to address the clinical needs of these children. Unfortunately, our data gathered from surveys of parents who enter outpatient treatment with a drinking problem show that more than 60% refuse to allow their children to participate in individual or family treatment. Thus, treatments for adult patients that improve the family environment may hold the most promise for affecting the psychosocial adjustment of children who live in these homes. A promising approach is Behavioral Couples Therapy 9BCT), which focuses both on reducing substance use and improving family adjustment. Recently, Kelley and Fals-Steward (in press) found that children whose parents participated in BCT displayed higher psychosocial adjustment at post-treatment at post-treatment, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up than children whose patients participated in treatment as usual or a psycho-educational coupled-based attention control condition. These promising results indicate that BCT has effects on the family that extends beyond the couple to their children, even though the children themselves were not actively involved in treatment. The primary objectives of this exploratory/developmental grant application are to extend the results of the Fals-Steward and Kelley investigation by examining the effects of BCT on children as rated not only by parents, but also by other informants within the family system (i.e., children themselves) and those outside the family system (i.e., teachers), and to explore the potential beneficial effects of adding parent skills training to BCT on children living with alcohol dependent parents. Specifically, this project seeks to determine whether (a) Parent Skills BCT in outpatient treatment results in greater improvements in psychosocial adjustment of children living in these homes compartment to children whose alcoholic parents receive individual-based treatment only, and (b) explore factors that may mediate the relationship between Parent Skills BCT involvement and improvements in children's psychosocial adjustment, including anticipated reductions in parental alcohol use, domestic violence and improved dyadic adjustment (both husband-wife and parent-child).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AA013690-02
Application #
6651627
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAA1-FF (12))
Program Officer
Chiapella, Page
Project Start
2002-09-01
Project End
2005-05-31
Budget Start
2003-06-01
Budget End
2004-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$157,000
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Buffalo
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
038633251
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14260
Lam, Wendy K K; Fals-Stewart, William; Kelley, Michelle L (2009) Parent training with behavioral couples therapy for fathers' alcohol abuse: effects on substance use, parental relationship, parenting, and CPS involvement. Child Maltreat 14:243-54
Lam, Wendy K; Fals-Stewart, William; Kelley, Michelle L (2008) Effects of Parent Skills Training with Behavioral Couples Therapy for alcoholism on children: a randomized clinical pilot trial. Addict Behav 33:1076-80
Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A; Fals-Stewart, William (2008) Analyzing data from open enrollment groups: current considerations and future directions. J Subst Abuse Treat 35:36-40
Kelley, Michelle L; Fals-Stewart, William (2008) Treating paternal drug abuse using Learning Sobriety Together: effects on adolescents versus children. Drug Alcohol Depend 92:228-38
Kelley, Michelle L; French, Alexis; Bountress, Kaitlin et al. (2007) Parentification and family responsibility in the family of origin of adult children of alcoholics. Addict Behav 32:675-85
Kelley, Michelle L; Fals-Stewart, William (2007) Treating paternal alcoholism with learning sobriety together: effects on adolescents versus preadolescents. J Fam Psychol 21:435-44
Fals-Stewart, William; Birchler, Gary R; Kelley, Michelle L (2006) Learning sobriety together: A randomized clinical trial examining behavioral couples therapy with alcoholic female patients. J Consult Clin Psychol 74:579-91
Fals-Stewart, William; Leonard, Kenneth E; Birchler, Gary R (2005) The occurrence of male-to-female intimate partner violence on days of men's drinking: the moderating effects of antisocial personality disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol 73:239-48
Fals-Stewart, William; Kennedy, Cheryl (2005) Addressing intimate partner violence in substance-abuse treatment. J Subst Abuse Treat 29:5-17
Fals-Stewart, William; Yates, Brian T; Klostermann, Keith (2005) Assessing the costs, benefits, cost-benefit ratio, and cost-effectiveness of marital and family treatments: why we should and how we can. J Fam Psychol 19:28-39

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