Behavioral outcomes among children of alcoholics during the early and middle childhood years: Familial subtype variations

This study examined early behavioral outcomes among young children of alcoh olics (COAs) as a function of differences in subtype of paternal alcoholism . Participants were 212 children (106 girls and 106 boys, ages 3 through 8) and both of their biological parents. Families were characterized as antis ocial alcoholics, nonantisocial alcoholics, and nonalcoholic controls. Ther e were significant familiar subtype group differences on parent report meas ures of children's total behavior problems, externalizing behavior, and int ernalizing behavior, and on measures of children's intellectual functioning and academic achievement. In all instances, COAs had poorer functioning th an controls. In the behavior problem domain, but not for the domain of inte llectual functioning, children from antisocial alcoholic families had great er problems than children from nonantisocial alcoholic families. In additio n to the subtype effects, boys had higher levels of behavior problems than girls in all three areas, and older children had more internalizing problem s than younger children. Maternal functioning pertaining to lifetime alcoho l problem involvement and antisocial behavior also contributed to child sub type differences in internalizing behavior. Results indicate that, even at very early ages, male and female COAs are heterogeneous populations that ar e distinguishable by way of familial subtype membership, as well as disting uishable from their non-COA peers. Thus, findings underscore the need to co nsider the heterogeneity of alcoholism when looking at its effects on child development.