FAMILY COHESION AS A BUFFER AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF PROBLEM-DRINKING FATHERS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, DEVIANT-BEHAVIOR, AND HEAVY DRINKINGIN ADOLESCENTS

In this paper we examine the degree to which family cohesion buffers t he effects of fathers' problem drinking at Time 1 (T1) on adolescent d istress, deviance, and heavy drinking at Time 2 (T2), one year later. Data from a representative sample of 658 families were used to test th e hypotheses. Mothers, fathers (if present), and adolescent children w ere interviewed in the home. Fathers who were present completed self-r eport scales measuring problem drinking. When fathers were not availab le, mothers' reports on fathers' drinking were used to measure fathers ' problem drinking. Results from regression analysis indicate that aft er controlling for the effects of race, SES, age, gender, and family s tructure: (1) the more cohesion in the family and the fewer stressful events, the less distress, deviance, and heavy drinking shown by adole scents; (2) the father's problem drinking affects adolescent distress and deviance when cohesion is low; but as cohesion increases, she effe cts of the father's drinking are reduced. The findings support the hyp othesis that cohesion in families buffers the effects of fathers' prob lem drinking on adolescents.