MOTHER-SON INTERACTIONS IN DISRUPTIVE AND NONDISRUPTIVE ADOLESCENT SONS OF MALE ALCOHOLICS AND CONTROLS

Objective: The goal of the study was to describe mother-son relations in adolescent sons of male alcoholics. Method: Eighty-two mother-son d yads were observed interacting in a laboratory setting. They were subd ivided into four groups: sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) with and with out behavioral problems, boys who were not SOMAs but had behavioral pr oblems, and controls. Disruptive boys were included and distinguished from SOMAs because while there is often co-occurrence of these two pro blems they are not always found in the same individual. Results: It wa s found that the biological mothers of the disruptive boys were less s upportive and nurturing of their sons than were the other mothers. The y were also rated as less mature, more anxious, and less confident in themselves as parents. There were no significant findings for the SOMA s or their mothers, whose interactions resembled the control group. Co nclusions: It is possible that sons of male alcoholics' differences ma y be due to the disruptiveness of the bays rather than to their family alcoholic status per se.