Alcohol is among the most available and used drugs in the US. Alcohol use disorders harm the mental health of adults and children. Exposure to parental alcoholism can affect children’s social lives. Some of them may adopt their parents’ toxic traits. As a result, they may have difficulty establishing stable relationships. Parents suffering from alcoholism are a burden to their children since they require special care and attention. Children experience challenges when they attempt to balance their social lives and domestic obligations. Such children may turn to alcoholism as a coping mechanism. Parental alcoholism harms children’s emotional, psychological, and mental well-being, and psychiatric nurse practitioners must address this problem at the individual, familial, and societal levels.
Contributing Factors
Alcoholism is linked to genetic factors. Children whose parents suffer from alcoholism are four times more likely to develop alcohol use disorders than other children (Townsend, 2013). Parents play a significant role in a child’s transition to adulthood. A parenting environment that exposes children to alcoholism tends to leave long-lasting implications. Recent studies refer to alcoholism as a family disease since it directly or indirectly influences every member (Bickelhaupt, Lohman, & Neppl , 2019). Either parent suffering from heavy episodic drinking can affect children’s behavioral outcomes.
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Alcoholism is also associated with psychosocial factors. Stress and anxiety may force some adults to rely on alcohol as a stress-coping mechanism (McCaul et al., 2017). Such people believe that can diminish the unpleasant physiological and cognitive effects of stress and anxiety. Stressors can arise due to work, family, financial, or legal difficulties. The outcome is increased alcohol consumption or heavy drinking in some people.
Problems
Parental alcoholism is associated with psychosocial short- and long-term psychosocial consequences. Children raised by parents who are suffering from alcoholism are likely to experience challenges when they attempt to socialize with their peers. For example, family conflict promotes children’s internalized symptoms and depressive disorders (Bickelhaupt et al., 2019). Parents who heavily dependent on alcohol are unlikely to respond to their children’s needs. Children in such families may internalize their parents’ toxic traits, impairing their emotional and cognitive development. As a result, such children may experience difficulty forming long-lasting relationships or expressing their feelings (Bickelhaupt et al., 2019). These challenges make children feel insecure; some may develop feelings of blame, shame, and guilt. Most of them develop anti-social behaviors.
Another negative impact of parental alcoholism is the development of self-destructive behaviors in children. Young adults whose parents have a drinking problem are likely to be aggressive and violent (Bickelhaupt et al., 2019). Children who feel distanced from their parents tend to direct their feelings to other people. They rely on physical and verbal abuse as coping mechanisms.
The third impact is the development of alcoholism in young adults. Children exposed to parental alcoholism tend to be distanced from their parents and develop ineffective coping strategies (Bickelhaupt et al., 2019). They fail to manage their emotions, and thus, they are at risk of heavy alcohol consumption. The result is an increased prevalence of alcoholism in society. In the US, about half of the people aged twelve years and above drink alcohol (Townsend, 2013). The majority of the people suffering from alcoholism were raised by parents who were heavy drinkers.
Role of Psychiatric Nurse
At the primary level, psychiatric nurses have to engage with and provide medical assistance to parents with alcohol use disorders. Psychiatric nurses understand that alcoholism is a mental disorder that requires patience and self-control to overcome ( Molina-Mula, González-Trujillo, & Simonet-Bennassar , 2018). Some of the vital care services include brief intervention, screening, pharmacotherapy, and counseling. They have to address the risk factors that predisposed the parents to alcoholism and offer long-lasting solutions.
At the secondary level, psychiatric nurses have to educate the public about the impacts of alcoholism on children’s health. They can set aside one day every month to address the prevalence, influence, and alcoholism treatment. This approach will bring members of a community together to discuss how parental alcoholism affects them.
At the tertiary level, psychiatric nurses have to advocate for policy changes to address the prevalence of alcoholism in families. Psychiatric nurses should focus on children’s emotions and perception of responsibility (Tinnfalt, Froding. Larsson, & Dalal, 2018). They can use these insights to formulate policies that the government can adopt. Alternatively, they can also involve government agencies directly by asking them to take children from families with a complex history of alcohol abuse disorders.
Community Agencies
American Addiction Centers is one of the community agencies involved in preventing this problem. This agency offers parents professional assistance to ensure that they become sober (Editorial Staff, 2020). American Addiction Centers provides evidence-based material that can facilitate the recovery process. It also offers therapy and peer group support services to children whose parents suffer from alcoholism.
Voice for the Children is also actively involved in the prevention of parental alcoholism. It has professionals such as primary care providers, social workers, and early childhood practitioners who offer education and support to children and family members with a history of alcoholism (Addiction Tends to Run in Families, n.d.). Voice for the Children has an online training platform that enhances health professionals’ knowledge of parental alcoholism. It also incorporates insights from youth groups and faith-based organizations when educating children about alcohol use disorders.
Ethical Issues
One of the ethical issues is the need to do good to others. Alcohol abuse in families destroys children’s health outcomes. Although parents have the freedom to drink, they are responsible for taking care of their children ( Bickelhaupt et al., 2019). They have to serve as role models and support their children as they transition through adulthood. Parental alcoholism makes it challenging for parents to perform these duties. Another ethical issue is the prevention of harm. Parents have the responsibility of protecting their children from any form of harm. Children raised in families that have alcohol disorders do not enjoy this privilege. Instead, they are subjected to physical and verbal abuse.
Impact of Gender, Culture, Religion, and Family
A nurse practitioner needs to investigate the parents’ gender when addressing parental alcoholism. Fathers are likely to drink more than mothers ( Wolfe, 2016 ). Nurse practitioners need to highlight the risk factors that promote this behavior. They also need to investigate the relationship between fathers and their daughters. A recent study revealed that girls raised by fathers who drink a lot are more likely to become heavy drinkers than the boys ( Wolfe, 2016 ). The analysis of gender will inform nurses about the children’s perceptions of their parents and their health outcomes.
Culture is also an integral part of the health assessment. A nurse practitioner has to investigate different cultural stressors that may predispose adults to alcoholism. Also, some cultures encourage alcohol intake as a form of socialization ( Wolfe, 2016 ). These factors are vital when addressing the prevalence of alcoholism in society. A nurse practitioner has to find a way to integrate care recommendations with cultural practices and beliefs.
Religion can positively impact a nurse’s response to parental alcoholism. Although Biblical teachings do not forbid alcohol intake, they warn people of excessive alcohol consumption. In Ephesians 5:18, the Bible states that drinking too much wine corrupts the body. Nurse practitioners can use Biblical teachings to guide people on how to maintain self-control.
The family also determines the type of care that the nurse practitioner offers. If a family tradition prioritizes alcoholism, it may be difficult for a nurse to address this problem. Nurse practitioners have to discuss the negative impacts of parental alcoholism with parents in a manner that does not offend them (Tinnfalt et al., 2017). A nurse will also analyze children’s perceptions of parental alcoholism to determine an effective care plan.
Conclusion
Overall, parental alcoholism is a significant problem in families. It predisposes children to parents’ toxic traits. Some children may become violent, while others may turn to alcoholism as a coping mechanism. Psychiatric nurses have to address this problem. They can offer screening and treatment services, mass education, and involve government agencies. Parents need to desist from heavy drinking since it alters the children’s perceptions of their surroundings. Some family members may not be open to treatment options, and it is the responsibility of psychiatric nurses to ensure that their children receive adequate care and support
References
Addiction tends to run in families. (n.d.). Voice for the Children . Retrieved from https://nacoa.org/
Bickelhaupt, S. E., Lohman, B. J., & Neppl, T. K. (2019). The influence of parental alcoholism on parent-adolescent relationships from adolescence into emerging adulthood: A qualitative inquiry. Emerging Adulthood , 1-15.doi:10.1177/2167696818824186
Editorial Staff. (2020). Children of alcoholics. American Addiction Centers . Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/children
McCaul, M. E., Hutton, H. E., Stephens, M. A. C., Xu, X., & Wand, G. S. (2017). Anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and perceived stress as predictors of recent drinking, alcohol craving, and social stress response in heavy drinkers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research , 41 (4), 836-845.doi:10.1111/acer.13350
Molina-Mula, J., González-Trujillo, A., & Simonet-Bennassar, M. (2018). Emergency and mental health nurses’ perceptions and attitudes towards alcoholics. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 15 (8), 1733.doi:10.3390/ijerph15081733
Tinnfält, A., Fröding, K., Larsson, M., & Dalal, K. (2018). “I feel it in my heart when my parents fight”: Experiences of 7–9-year-old children of alcoholics. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal , 35 (5), 531-540.doi:10.1007/s10560-018-0544-6
Townsend, M.C. (2013). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice (6th ed.).F.A. Davis Company
Wolfe, J. D. (2016). The effects of maternal alcohol use disorders on childhood relationships and mental health. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology , 51 (10), 1439-1448.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1264-x
