A Cross Sectional study to assess psychopathology in children of male patients with alcohol dependence syndrome and their family functioning.

OBJECTIVES : To estimate the prevalence of psychopathology in children of male patients with alcohol dependence and assess the family functioning in their families. To assess and compare the sociodemographic, clinical, substance abuse related factors and family functioning with and without psychopathology in families of patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS : Patients with ICD-10 diagnosis for Alcohol Dependence Syndrome who have children between 6-18 years were scored on the Addiction Severity Index. Psychopathology in their children was assessed using Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). McMaster Family Assessment Device (MFAD) was used to measure family functioning in their families.Comparative analysis was done with the Total CBCL clinical and nonclinical groups with the socio-demographic variables of patient, mother, family and child, alcohol related variables and family functioning using chi- test for categorical variables and the student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables. Univariate logistic regression was done for variables found to be significant in the bivariate analysis. RESULTS : 72 patients and their families were recruited in the study. The mean age of the children was 11.69 (SD=3.56). The overall prevalence of psychopathology in the children as assessed by CBCL was 13.9%, with internalising and externalising disorders at 11.1% and 8.3% respectively. Significant family dysfunction was seen in 65%. Among sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with child psychopathology, the presence of psychiatric morbidity in the father and family size were found to be significant (p value <0.05). The interviewer rated scores of ASI showed significant association with child psychopathology in Family/social, Psychiatric and Alcoholdomains (p value