Although the Americans with Disabilities Act prevents employers from discriminating against the disabled in hiring practices, it exempts current illegal users of drugs, as distinct from alcoholics. The specific requirements of the law regarding persons with alcoholism are reviewed and contrasted with those concerning current drug users, and…

This article discusses fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) including causes, common characteristics, secondary characteristics, prevention, and treatment. Economic implications are noted which suggest that treatment costs are 100 times the cost of prevention programs. (DB)

Considers dilemma of elementary school-aged children from alcoholic families. Contends that elementary school experiences can be pivotal for these students and that educators need to understand nature, scope, and implications of chemical dependency to help these children. Describes life in alcoholic household and discusses possible feelings and…

Examined mediational roles of mothers' supportive parenting and inconsistent discipline in parent problem drinking-child mental health relationship. Data from 303 families with young adolescent children revealed parent problem drinking related to higher levels of negative life events which were related to less supportive parenting and more…

Considers the usefulness of elementary school support groups for children of alcoholics. Discusses identification of young children of alcoholics and offers suggestions for establishing support groups. Examines techniques for exploring feelings, building self-esteem, developing coping skills, managing stress, rehearsing decision making, and…

Studied 89 clients in case management program, most of whom were identified as heavy users of acute care and psychiatric emergency rooms. Findings revealed that 50% were adult children of alcoholics and that many had been sexually and physically abused as children or adults. None had been asked about or appropriately treated for these aspects of…

Findings from 118 first-year college students revealed that differences in adjustment to college experience during the first-year was related to select aspects of the family environments of students reporting the presence of parental alcohol problems. (Author/NB)

Examines the relative importance of outcome expectancies and self-efficacy in the production of alcohol dependence and alcohol consumption in a sample of young adult drinkers drawn from a milieu previously reported as supportive of risky drinking. Results suggest that heavy drinking women are particularly at risk of developing drinking-related…

A brief history of Substance Use Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is presented, and the symptoms of substance dependence are presented. Substance dependence is distinguished from substance abuse. Assessment instruments, including laboratory tests and interviews for diagnosing substance use disorders, are…

Investigates familial alcoholism effects and the comparative probability of risk that adult children of alcoholics have for alcohol dependence. Results, based on a national survey of 12,686 young adults over a five-year period, show that the risk for alcoholism is relatively greater for males than females. (MKA)

Using sample of 108 students from fourth to eighth grades, study seeks to further clarify three major psychological dimensions among school-aged young children of alcoholics (YCOAs). Self-esteem, anxiety level, and locus of control were compared among school-aged children with and without alcoholic parents. YCOAs reported lower self-esteem, higher…

An inpatient rehabilitation program for recovering alcoholics and substance abusers provides outdoor experiences to enable clients to develop a connection with nature. Stories by two clients give testimony to the strong impact nature has had on their lives, providing lessons in humility, spiritual awareness, and the simplicity of life. (TD)

Investigates whether personality tests can differentiate between alcohol and drug users among juvenile offenders. Subjects were 108 Icelandic juvenile offenders who had been given conditional discharge, who received the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Gough Socialisation Scale (GSS). Drug and alcohol users scored significantly lower…

Examines the way alcohol use has been portrayed in films with particular emphasis on the western genre. Saloons, bar fights, and town drunks are all staple features of the genre, a genre that has contributed significantly to the prevailing image of masculinity. This paper argues that these images influence and shape contemporary attitudes about…

The author uses the term "depraved loneliness" to represent the spiritual sickness alluded to in "Alcoholics Anonymous," arguing that combining these terms to form a single paradigm has not been examined. Germinal qualitative research is necessary, and additional study of this proposed condition is encouraged. (Author)