Drinking and parental unpredictability among adult children of alcoholics:A pilot study

Within-family differences that mediate the relationship between family hist ory for alcoholism and alcohol consumption were investigated. Twenty adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and 20 children of social drinking parents ( non-ACOAs) were interviewed in 1991 (mean age 24.2 years). Participants des cribed family functioning while growing up and indices of their alcohol con sumption. Family history for alcoholism had a direct association with two a spects of drinking. ACOAs reported more lifetime drinks and tended to repor t drinking more frequently during high school, as compared to non-ACOAs. AC OAs also reported more parental unpredictability, which in turn was associa ted with the above drinking indices. Finally, family history for alcoholism had an indirect association with drinking, as unpredictability mediated th is relationship. Research and prevention implications are discussed.