Abstract
The Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) was used to compare a sample of 103 Danish children of alcoholics (CoA) to a Danish population-based sample (N = 780). The CoA had a significantly greater incidence of symptoms on 17 of the 118 CBCL items. Compared to the reference population, daughters of alcoholics were more impaired than sons of alcoholics on most CBCL measures. In families with maternal alcoholism daughters had higher internalising and depression scores than sons, and in families with paternal alcoholism, sons had higher internalising and depression scores than daughters. The CoA also had a significantly greater risk of scoring above the 95th percentile on internalising behaviour, depression symptoms and socially deviant behaviour. On all CBCL dimensions, almost half of the CoA samples functioned as well as the average of the reference population. The results from this study suggest that CoA should be regarded as a risk group but with very heterogeneous consequences in response to parental alcoholism.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Accepted: 29 November 1999
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Christensen, H., Bilenberg, N. Behavioural and emotional problems in children of alcoholic mothers and fathers. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 9, 219–226 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870070046
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870070046