Parental acceptance and rejection, shame, and the etiology of chemical dependency in adolescents: An intergenerational study
Abstract
Research literature has identified a number of parental influences that are hypothesized to contribute to the etiology of adolescent chemical dependency. Among these are a lack of parental nurturance, characterized by a lack of parental warmth--physical touching, kissing, and verbal complimenting and praising, along with an overall lack of effective communication between parent and child. Research has also suggested that factors surrounding chemical dependency in one generation are found in disproportionate levels in the following generation, including an unusually high susceptability of adolescents towards chemical dependency. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the variables of parental acceptance or rejection, levels of shame, and levels of chemical dependency in two generations using the statistic, path analysis. Eighty-six father-adolescent dyads participated in the study. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from two different populations in Indiana. One sample of fathers only was selected from a population that was thought not to be chemically dependent, while the other sample of chemically dependent fathers was selected from among clients at six drug and alcohol treatment centers. Findings generally supported the hypotheses that reports of parental rejection are positively associated with high levels of shame and that high levels of shame have a corresponding positive association with high levels of chemical dependency. Levels of chemical dependency were generally higher in the chemically dependent sample. Data also suggest that the self-report of fathers with respect to the variables of parental rejection, shame and chemical dependency tended also to be reported by one of his adolescents in the following generation.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Lewis, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
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