The Impact of Parental Alcoholism on Self-Esteem and Depression Among African-American Adolescents

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Abstract
This study sought to determine the relationship between parental alcoholism, feelings of self-esteem and depression among children of alcoholics (COAs) in a sample of 649 African-American adolescents twelve to nineteen years old. Three instruments were used in the study: The Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST), The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) Revised and The New York (Rosenberg) Self Esteem Scale. The results showed that about one out of four adolescents was a COA. COAs scored lower on self-esteem than the nonCOAs and females in general scored lower on self-esteem than males. COAs were found to experience a higher level of depression than the nonCOAs and higher levels of depression were also found in females in general than in males. Depression was the strongest predictor of the status of being a COA. All these findings were statistically significant. The study has implications for counseling and prevention efforts among African-American adolescent COAs.