A PILOT-STUDY OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RESILIENCE TO SUBSTANCE-ABUSE IN ADOLESCENT SONS OF ALCOHOLIC FATHERS

This pilot study evaluated the association between substance abuse out come and putative protective factors in sons of alcoholic fathers. A b attery of questionnaires was anonymously self-administered to 24 sons of alcoholic fathers ages 16-19 years to identify relationships betwee n alcohol and/or drug abuse and factors hypothesized to be related to parental alcoholism Of the 24 subjects, 13 were categorized through se lf-identification and self-report screening measures as having alcohol and/or drug problems and 11 were categorized as not having substance abuse problems. Boys without substance problems: (1) had significantly higher maternal occupational status (p = .01); (2) experienced more g ood life events (p < .001), and (3) had a more internally oriented loc us of control (p < .001). Good events and internal locus of control we re highly correlated with each other (r = .620, p < .01). The fact tha t these preliminary findings are consistent with other literature desp ite marked methodologic and sample differences indicates that these pu tative components of resilience are robust and deserve further study t owards improved substance abuse prevention in those at high risk.